(ECNS) - China on Saturday opened its first comprehensive national exhibition dedicated to the Xia Dynasty, widely regarded as the country's earliest dynasty. The exhibition will bring together more than 250 cultural relics from 31 museums and research institutions across the country.

China opens its first comprehensive national exhibition dedicated to its earliest dynasty Xia Dynasty in Shanxi Province. (Photo: Wei Liang/ China News Service)

Titled 'China in the Xia Period', the exhibition is being held at the Shanxi Bronze Museum and features recent archaeological discoveries from provinces including Henan, Liaoning and Gansu. It marks the first large-scale, systematic effort to present the development and characteristics of Xia culture.

Scholars generally view the Xia Dynasty as a pivotal stage in the formation of Chinese civilization, moving from diverse regional cultures toward a more unified tradition, and from legend into recorded history.

Among the newly displayed discoveries are artifacts from the Zhongcun burial site in Shanxi province, where excavations concluded just over a month ago.

"The turquoise bead found near the left ear of the tomb occupant is similar in craftsmanship to those unearthed at the Erlitou site, suggesting cultural exchanges between the two regions," said Cao Jun, an archaeologist at the Shanxi Institute of Archaeology who led the excavation.

"A large seashell discovered near the head indicates that it was transported from coastal areas, pointing to the high social status of the burial's occupant," Cao added.

The exhibition also highlights early bronze ritual vessels linked to the Erlitou site in central China's Henan Province, which many scholars associate with the Xia period.

"Erlitou has yielded what are considered China's earliest sets of bronze ceremonial objects," said Li Hui, a tour guide at the Shanxi Bronze Museum. "This bronze jue cup, used for storing wine, though simple in design, represents the beginning of China's Bronze Age."

The exhibition will run until May 10.

(By Zhang Jiahao)