With more than 320 pieces and sets of recently unearthed Qin-related artifacts from Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in Northwest China, alongside select items from the museum's permanent collection, Dawn of the First Empire: The Qin's Unification in Archaeological Treasures is taking place at Shanghai Museum East through Sept 7.
As the fifth installment in the museum's The Essence of China exhibition series, the new exhibition sheds light on the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), which forged China's first unified dynasty.
According to Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum, the transition from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770-256 BC) to the Qin represents a pivotal turning point, marking China's shift from a network of regional states to a centralized empire. The Qin pioneered enduring political institutions, integrated diverse cultures, and refined systems of governance, laying the foundation for China's long-standing tradition of unification.
Speaking at the exhibition's opening ceremony on June 9, Chu noted that the showcase traces the Qin's rise from a vassal state under the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-771 BC) to the founder of a unified nation, revealing its pivotal role in shaping the pluralistic yet integrated trajectory of Chinese civilization.
"In recent years, Qin culture has become a major focus of both museum exhibitions and academic research," says Wang Yue, curator of the exhibition. "For this project, we moved away from the conventional chronological narrative and instead focused on uncovering the intrinsic qualities of Qin culture."
The exhibition is structured in four thematic sections: the Qin people, the Qin state, cultural integration, and the unification of the Seven Warring States.
The first section draws heavily on artifacts from Gansu to illustrate the centuries-long development of the Qin people prior to the empire's founding. According to Ban Rui, director of the Gansu Provincial Museum, 66.7 percent of the Qin artifacts on loan from Gansu are classified as precious cultural relics, marking the first large-scale presentation of Qin-era treasures from the province at the Shanghai Museum.
"Recent archaeological discoveries in Gansu have shed new light on previously untold chapters of Qin history, about how the Qin emerged in their formative stage and evolved step by step into a formidable empire," Ban says.
Pottery pieces excavated at the Liya site in Gansu confirm that the Qin people originated in eastern China and migrated westward during the Western Zhou Dynasty. These pots, jars and basins reflect the stylistic traditions of the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC), whose heartland lay along the Central Plains of the Yellow River in present-day Henan province.
In the gallery, bronze vessels inscribed with "Lord of Qin" unearthed from the Qin ancestors' mausoleum at Dabuzi Mountain in Li county, Gansu, demonstrate how they inherited the ritual and musical culture of the Central Plains from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. They also offer a vivid glimpse into the grandeur of Qin sacrificial ceremonies.
Golden ornaments in the shape of birds of prey also unearthed from the same site combine Central Plains motifs with steppe metalworking techniques. These objects reveal the early Qin state's aesthetic diversity and technical sophistication.
"These artifacts tell us that the rise of the Qin was largely driven by their inclusiveness," says Li Wenyuan, a researcher in the Bronze Department of the Shanghai Museum and a member of the curatorial team. "Rather than clinging rigidly to tradition or clan identity, the Qin embraced whatever strengthened the state."
The final section focuses on the institutional legacy of unification — standardized laws, measurements, currency, and military regulations — demonstrating that Qin unification was not merely territorial, but systemic.
Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Shaanxi contributed 12 groups of artifacts from the mausoleum complex, including a large terracotta warrior, a painted warrior head and a pair of bronze wild geese. According to Li Gang, the museum's director, these works exemplify the high level of Qin craftsmanship.
Among the most significant artifacts on loan is a painted terracotta head, displayed outside of Shaanxi for the first time.
"Painted terracotta artifacts are rarely on exhibition elsewhere because the pigments are extremely vulnerable to flaking during transportation," Li Wenyuan explains.
"Even during their excavation, preventing pigment loss was a major challenge. Therefore, this is a rare opportunity for Shanghai's audiences to observe the detailed facial features of a Qin warrior. The application of color was the final touch that brought these figures to life, offering a glimpse of the Terracotta Warriors' original appearance, which is quite different from the unadorned pottery we see today."
The success of the Qin was neither accidental nor achieved overnight, Chu says. Underpinning it was a spirit of pragmatism, inclusiveness, resilience, and innovation — values that lie at the heart of the Essence of China exhibition series.
Through a systematic presentation of archaeological discoveries, the museum seeks to answer a fundamental question: "Where do we come from?"
"We hope visitors will feel the pulse of history and gain a deeper appreciation for the deep roots and extraordinary vitality of Chinese civilization," Chu says.
