An exhibition titled "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" opens at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo by Zhou Jing / China.org.cn]
An exhibition comparing the urban planning, lifestyle and arts between China's Beijing and Japan's Tokyo in the 18th century opened on Tuesday at the Capital Museum in Beijing.
In the 18th century, Beijing and Tokyo (then named Edo), as capital cities of China and Japan respectively, developed into major cities in the world. Beijing thrived both culturally and economically under the reigns of Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) and Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) while Edo saw its people enjoy an affluent and peaceful life under the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Based on this historical background, the exhibition, titled "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century," showcases a rich collection of exhibits from both China's Capital Museum and Japan's Edo Tokyo Museum.
As Chinese curator Zhang Liang introduced at the exhibition, a total of 181 pieces (sets) of exhibits are on show, of which 112 pieces (sets) are from the Edo Tokyo Museum, including pictures, daily necessities, handicrafts and folk materials.
At Tuesday's opening, President of China's Capital Museum Bai Jie said the exhibition is presented under the cooperation framework of the China, Japan and ROK International Museum Academic Symposium. The event was jointly initiated by China's Capital Museum, Japan's Edo Tokyo Museum and ROK's Seoul Museum of History in 2002. In 2007, China's Shenyang Palace Museum joined the team. The three countries each take turns to host the event every year.
An exhibition titled "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" opens at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo by Zhou Jing / China.org.cn]
Fujimori Terunobu, director of the Edo Tokyo Museum, said in his opening speech that their 112 selected exhibits for this year's exhibition in Beijing include Ukiyo-e, movable-type printing and other handicrafts and folklore materials.
He said their museum held an exhibition of the same theme from February to April in 2017, when they borrowed collections from China's Capital Museum and Palace Museum. They displayed and compared the borrowed collections and their own items at the Edo Tokyo Museum to showcase a new form of exhibition. Two-thirds of the exhibits were selected from China to meet the needs of the local audiences in Japan. The 44-day exhibition attracted up to 44,000 visitors, having an extensive influence among the young people and generating heated discussion in the community.
The director expressed his hope that the exhibition in Beijing will further deepen the cooperation between the two museums, contribute to deepening the friendship between the two cities, as well as their people, and also promote mutual respect and understanding. He hoped that visitors will have a better understanding of the history of China's cultural exchanges and Edo's history and culture.
The exhibition will run until October 7.
A collection is displayed at the exhibition "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Capital Museum]
A collection is displayed at the exhibition "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Capital Museum]
A collection is displayed at the exhibition "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Capital Museum]
A collection is displayed at the exhibition "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Capital Museum]
A collection is displayed at the exhibition "The Metropolises and the Prosperities within Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century" at the Capital Museum in Beijing, Aug. 14, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Capital Museum]