"Verdant Miles: The Steppe Silk Road in the 10th to 12th Century" Exhibition Set to Open in Hangzhou
HANGZHOU, China, July 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Verdant Miles: The Steppe Silk Road in the 10th to 12th Century" exhibition is officially about to open on July 11 at China National Silk Museum, marking a highlight of the "2025 Silk Road Week". Jointly organized by the museum and cultural institutions from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the exhibition is set to showcase over 200 artifacts, with more than 60 classified as first-class relics, offering a vivid glimpse into the cultural exchanges along the ancient Steppe Silk Road.
Different types of ceramic flasks exhibited in the exhibition
Stretching across Eurasia, the Steppe Silk Road served as a vital northern corridor linking nomadic and agrarian civilizations. From the Liao Dynasty (916–1125), which blended Tang grandeur, Song elegance, and Central Asian dynamism, to the Khitan people, who forged a unique synthesis of cultures, this route facilitated the flow of ideas, goods, and technologies—from horse domestication to metallurgy—shaping the pluralistic unity of Chinese civilization.
Exhibition Highlights
The exhibition is divided into four thematic sections:
- The Origins of the Steppe Silk Road – Tracing its prehistoric roots and expansion under the Liao Dynasty, which transformed the route into a thriving trade network.
- Traces of Nomadic and Agrarian Peoples – Featuring Khitan innovations in governance, handicrafts (textiles, ceramics, and metalwork), and their dual-administration system blending nomadic and Han traditions.
- Confluence of Diverse Civilizations in China – Displaying glassware, agate, amber, and crystal from Persia and the Arab world, alongside diplomatic artifacts from the Song, Xia, and Jin dynasties.
- Expansion of the Steppe Silk Road– Exploring Liao's seaborne trade with Wuyue Kingdom (modern Zhejiang), exchanging celadon, silk, and spices for Central Asian treasures.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, honored as this year's Guest Province of Honor for the "2025 Silk Road Week", will add a captivating touch to the opening ceremony with traditional morin khuur (horse-head fiddle) performances. Highlights include stirring renditions of "The Boundless Grassland" and "Ten Thousand Horses Galloping," evoking the spirit and grandeur of the steppe.
"Verdant Miles" will be open to visitors until October 20, 2025, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the enduring legacy of this historic Silk Road corridor.