23 0ctober 1999 - 20 February 2000

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This exciting special loan exhibition, which marks the State Visit in October of President Jiang Zemin on the occasion of the 50" anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, includes treasures never before displayed outside China, many being spectacular discoveries of the last three decades. Its main theme, Tang Dynasty (AD 618-906) gold and silver, is a sequel to the British Museum's hugely popular 'Mysteries ofAncient China' exhibition held in 1996, which ended with the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220). The Silk Routes were important conduits of trade and ideas during both the Han and Tang dynasties, and helped imbue these periods with an exoticism and a cosmopolitanism which was reflected in the sophisticated lifestyle of the capital of Chang'an (presentday Xi'an) in Shaanxi province.
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Fig.> Dragon, Gilded Bronze. Tang Dynasty (618/906 AD). Shaanxi province. Shaanxi History Museum.