The exhibition "Culture of the Nomads of the Great Steppe," prepared by the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has opened at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou.
The exhibition features 279 unique archaeological artifacts, introducing Chinese audiences to the history, art, and traditions of the ancient and medieval nomadic peoples of Kazakhstan.
The opening ceremony was attended by Nurlan Akkoshkarov, Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Shanghai, representatives of the Kazakh Cultural Center in Beijing, the leadership of the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, directors of Chinese museums, scholars, archaeologists, and cultural experts.
Three thematic sections cover the period from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages. Visitors will see jewelry, weapons, tools, religious attributes, examples of toreutics, ceramics, and textiles, reflecting the culture of the Saka, Wusun, Xiongnu, Kangyu, and Turkic tribes, as well as the development of cities along the Silk Road. A special place is occupied by the reconstruction of the "Golden Man" from the Issyk Kurgan, images of a noblewoman of the Kangju state, and a Xiongnu warrior. Exhibits also include gold items from the Shilikti Kurgan, the Zhalauly and Kargaly hoards, finds from the Arys River valley and the Kultobe settlement, as well as fragments of silk fabrics from the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
At the exhibition opening, the National Central Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Zhejiang Provincial Museum signed a memorandum providing for joint scientific research, the study of Silk Road sites, the exchange of experience, and the organization of archaeological expeditions.
The project was implemented as part of cultural cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in the run-up to the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The exhibition "Culture of the Nomads of the Great Steppe" will run at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum until October 11, 2026.