As a Hangzhou native, 39-year-old Liang Mengying had walked past Qianwang Temple by the city's iconic West Lake many times, rarely giving it a second thought.
The temple honors the kings of the Wuyue Kingdom during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907-960), whose territory largely overlapped with today's Zhejiang province, with its capital likewise in Hangzhou.
Yet, for most of Liang's life, that chapter of Chinese history remained little more than a rough outline. Liang, editor-in-chief of a big data website, knows it was brief, brutal and chaotic. But when pressed for specifics, she might struggle to recall them.
"My knowledge of that era is mostly pieced together from introductions to various artifacts scattered in museums across Zhejiang," says Liang, who would learn about such things and quickly bury them at the back of her mind.
Then a historical drama rekindled those dormant memories.
In January, Swords into Plowshares aired on China Central Television. Centering on Qian Hongchu, the drama chronicles how he became the ruler of Wuyue and then chose to surrender his kingdom to the rising Song Dynasty (960-1279) rather than see his people engulfed in possible bloodshed.
The show became an instant hit. It won multiple awards, including Best TV Series, at the country's prestigious Magnolia Awards in June.
Fans like Liang scrambled to delve into books and records to learn more about that particular period. They began to take a much keener interest in the choices Qian had made and their lasting impact not only on the region but also on China as a whole.
For Liang and her fellow fans, the thirst for knowledge is being quenched by an exhibition that opened at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum on July 28.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms: Historical Culture & Cinematic Art Major Exhibition brings together some 1,000 rare relics from that period drawn from nearly 100 institutions nationwide, including the National Museum of China and the Palace Museum in Beijing, as well as many provincial museums.
What makes it unique is its dual structure: one hall displays authentic artifacts, while another offers props and interactive experiences from the drama, allowing visitors to move between historical evidence and cinematic imagination.
Running for almost a year until June 20, 2027, the exhibition is organized into three stages, each lasting about three months with intervals between stages.
"Rather than calling it one exhibition, it's more like three," explains Ji Yunfei, director of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum.
"We will have a new collection of artifacts for each stage as the themes change.
"Also, many treasures simply cannot be displayed for extended periods due to preservation requirements."
One relic on display is a combined scroll bearing the original written instructions of Qian Liu, the first Wuyue king, and his grandson Qian Hongchu. It is one of China's earliest surviving official documents with a sovereign's signature and handwriting.
Another highlight is a gilded silver pagoda excavated in 2001 from the underground chamber of Hangzhou's Leifeng Pagoda, widely regarded as a showcase of the sophisticated metalwork and flourishing Buddhism fostered under Wuyue patronage.
"I gained a much more vivid understanding of Chinese history during that time, especially of Qian Hongchu," Liang says of the exhibition and the drama.
Liang has also revisited the Qianwang Temple and traveled to other places of historical interest — not as a casual sightseer, but as someone eager to appreciate the stories behind historical figures like Qian Hongchu.
"To me, the temple used to be just a scenic spot for flower shows," she says. "Now, every trace of the past means something."
chenye@chinadaily.com.cn
