Global exhibition of China's prehistoric Sanxingdui Ruins debuts in New York City

The "Sanxingdui Encounter: Global Tour of 12K Micro Viewing of National Treasures" exhibition has made its debut in New York with a lively opening ceremony on Thursday, offering the public a fresh perspective and a vital window for understanding ancient Chinese civilization.

Located in the heart of Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum Historic District, the Memor Museum has brought one of China's most mysterious ancient civilizations to life through interactive exhibits and cutting-edge technology.

Co-produced by the Sanxingdui Museum and China Media Group, the exhibition has previously been showcased in Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai in China and Doha in Qatar. It will run from Oct. 11, 2024 to Jan. 19, 2025 in New York City.

Combining 12K videos, naked-eye 3D, VR, interactive installations, and replica artifacts, along with original thematic music and artistic expressions, the exhibition provides visitors with a multi-dimensional cultural experience. Viewers can immerse themselves in the extraordinary artistic imagination and creativity of ancient China's Shu civilization that dates back over 3,000 years while gaining insights into the diverse yet cohesive, open and inclusive Chinese civilization.

The Sanxingdui Ruins are located in the city of Guanghan, around 38 km from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province. They are believed to be remnants of the Shu Kingdom which can be dated back 2,600 years to 4,800 years.D iscovered in the 1920s, the Sanxingdui Ruins has yielded numerous artifacts, offering a glimpse into a once-thriving culture of the ancient Shu civilization.

"Looking at these pieces from three thousand years ago shows you the depth of culture and history that is so different [from] that you would experience here directly in New York," said Matthew Ball, a tourist at the exhibition.

Global exhibition of China's prehistoric Sanxingdui Ruins debuts in New York City

A growing number of global tourists are eying trips to China following the country's decision to expand its visa-free policy to nine more countries, including Japan, Bulgaria and Romania.

The expanded visa-free policy, effective from November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025, was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, bringing the total number of countries benefiting from China's visa-free policy to 38. Following the announcement, searches for Chinese destinations on various travel platforms surged. On China's leading online travel agency Ctrip, such searches increased month-on-month by 65 percent in Europe and 112 percent in Japan. Inquiries for direct flights from many places in Japan to China also increased significantly.

South Korea is also seeing a surge in travel bookings to China after gaining visa-free entry in the fifth round of expansion, effective from this year's Nov 8 to December 31 next year.

According to the South Korean economic newspaper Aju Business Daily, bookings for group tours to China on a local online travel platform increased by 91 percent from Nov 1 to 5. South Korean airlines are also actively expanding their routes to China. Asiana Airlines has increased its Incheon-Beijing flights from 14 per week to 20.

Data shows that in the third quarter of this year, more than 8.1 million foreign nationals entered China, up 48.8 percent year on year. Among them, more than 4.8 million entered through visa-free entry, a yearly increase of over 78 percent.

More global tourists interested in China following visa-free expansion