Chongqing - To welcome the Year of the Horse, the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum officially inaugurated two flagship exhibitions today, offering a cultural feast that bridges ancient bronze cultures with traditional Chinese zodiac aesthetics.

"Fu" is Coming on Horseback The Year of the Horse Zodiac Exhibition (Photo: Feng Xiaolou)

As the centerpiece of the museum's Spring Festival celebrations, "'Fu' is Coming on Horseback: The Year of the Horse Zodiac Exhibition" (starting from Feb 10 and running through May 10) explores the profound bond between humans and horses. The exhibition features 227 sets of artifacts, categorized by Chinese characters sharing the "horse" radical to decode the animal’s role in history and literature.

The crown jewel of this collection is the "Grazing Horses on Green Fields" by Southern Song Dynasty court painter Ma Lin. As a Grade-I national treasure, this delicate silk album leaf depicts seven steeds in a peach grove—some grazing, others frolicking—capturing a rare sense of pastoral tranquility from eight centuries ago. Other highlights include a Ming Dynasty gold hairpin and Zhang Daqian's 1945 masterpiece, Fine Brushwork Black Horse.

Ancient artefacts are all about horse culture in the exhibition (Photo: Feng Xiaolou)

"In China, there is a popular idiom 'Ma Shang Lai' (meaning 'immediately'), but it literally translates to 'coming on horseback'," explained Du Zhiming, Research Fellow and curator of the zodiac exhibition. "By choosing this title for the Year of the Horse, we hope to convey the auspicious message that all beautiful things and happiness will arrive for our visitors immediately." Apart from "'Fu' is Coming on Horseback" at the Main Building of the museum, there is also Dance of the Horse in Spring: Global Zodiac Culture Joint Exhibition at the Heritage Conservation Center in Nan'an District.

Complementing the zodiac festivities is the archaeological exhibition "The Metal Road of the Northern Steppe: Bronze Echoes from Ordos" ((starting from Feb 10 and running through May 18). Showcasing over 400 bronze artifacts, it illustrates the vibrant exchange between nomadic and agricultural civilizations along the Yellow River's "Great Bend." From "mobile kitchens" (bronze fu cauldrons) to intricate animal-style ornaments, the collection highlights the ingenuity of the Ordos bronze culture.

Curator and Associate Research Fellow Wang Qiyue noted the poetic nature of the artifacts: "The 'echoes' in our title refer not only to history's resonance today but also to the literal bells integrated into these bronze tools. Nomadic peoples added bells to knife handles and utensils, reflecting their zest for life. The 'Bronze Road' signifies the cultural similarities among various Eurasian steppe peoples, serving as a testament to the grand exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations."

The bronze bell on display can still make a sound today (Photo: Feng Xiaolou)

By opening these two exhibitions simultaneously, the Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum provides a unique window into the diverse yet unified pattern of Chinese civilization. Whether through the refined brushstrokes of Song Dynasty art or the rugged echoes of steppe bronzes, visitors are invited to start their Lunar New Year with a journey through the "spirit of the horse."