Dragon-themed exhibition opens at National Museum of China

BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition featuring over 200 pieces of dragon-themed cultural relics from different historical periods of ancient China kicked off Tuesday at the National Museum of China in Beijing.

The forthcoming lunar year is the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon is regarded as an immensely revered and auspicious creature, resembling nine different creatures in appearance. Ancient Chinese believed that the dragon deity controlled the winds and rain, safeguarding the harvest.

Various cultural relics, such as bronzeware, jade artifacts, porcelain items, gold and silverware, lacquerware and paintings dating back from the Neolithic Age to the early 20th century, have been showcased at the exhibition.

One of the most attractive exhibits is a C-shaped jade dragon of Hongshan culture in the Neolithic Age, which is important material evidence for studying the original images of the dragon in ancient times.

The exhibition also features a bronze plate adorned with depictions of dragons and tigers from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), a vase boasting double dragon handles from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and a hardwood screen carved with multiple dragons, representing a typical piece of palace furniture from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).