Exhibition "Impressions of Beijing Central Axis – Popular Seals Honoring a World Cultural Heritage" Arrives in Shanghai

On April 30, 2025, the Shanghai leg of the traveling exhibition "Impressions of Beijing Central Axis – Popular Seals Honoring a World Cultural Heritage" was inaugurated at the China Art Museum, Shanghai (Shanghai Art Museum). Representatives from the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Office for the Protection and World Cultural Heritage Application of Beijing Central Axis, as well as the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation, the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation, and Gehua Media Group attended the opening ceremony. Experts, scholars, and researchers were also present, including Luo Pengpeng, Honorary President of the Seal Art Institute of the National Academy of Arts of China. Together, the guests affixed a symbolic seal, officially launching the exhibition in Shanghai.

This marks the first presentation of the exhibition outside Beijing, following its launch in the Chinese capital in 2024. It represents a significant initiative by cultural institutions in Beijing and Shanghai to deeply implement President Xi Jinping's cultural thought. The exhibition illustrates the integration of Marxism with China's excellent traditional culture, embodying creative transformation and innovative development. It also signifies an intensification of cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two major cities, both bearers of a shared cultural heritage, united in enriching the spiritual life of the populace.

Organized under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the Shanghai Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, the exhibition is co-organized by the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation and the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation, with support from the National Academy of Arts of China and participation from Bilibili as a strategic video platform partner. Focusing on the people, the exhibition highlights Beijing Central Axis through the traditional Chinese art of seal carving and popular engraving practices, showcasing the historical and cultural significance of the axis and its inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Presented in two sections, the exhibition features over 260 seals: the first section showcases more than 200 works dedicated to the 15 major heritage sites along Beijing Central Axis—from Yongding Gate to the Drum and Bell Towers—illustrating their historical landscapes, architectural structures, and cultural values; the second section comprises around 60 seals created by amateur seal enthusiasts in Shanghai, including students and employees, reflecting the city's history, culture, and creative dynamism.

To further enrich the exhibition, three national treasures from the Capital Museum in Beijing—a cooking tripod and a ritual vase from the Western Zhou dynasty, and a blue-and-white porcelain phoenix-headed flask from the Yuan dynasty—are on special display in Shanghai. Additionally, the gavel used by the session chair during the official adoption of Beijing Central Axis as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 27, 2024, is also exhibited.

The organizing committee has published a collection of seal works titled "Cultural Imprints of Beijing Central Axis Meeting the Huangpu River." At the opening ceremony, organizers and guests from Beijing and Shanghai presented books on the art of seal carving to representatives of primary and secondary schools, cultural institutions, and enterprises, before collectively affixing a seal on a scroll, symbolically marking the exhibition's launch.

Among other highlights, visitors can explore a 7.8-meter-long model of Beijing Central Axis, a sand painting themed "Beijing Central Axis and Shanghai Lujiazui," and an immersive digital installation titled "Time-Space Capsule of Beijing Central Axis." Throughout the exhibition, several events will take place: an expert symposium on the cultural value of Beijing Central Axis; public lectures titled "Stories of Beijing Central Axis Through Seals"; a gathering centered around the new collection "Cultural Imprints of Beijing Central Axis Along the Huangpu River – Collection of Popular Seal Engravings," themed "Stories of the Huangpu River Through Seals"; and seal engraving activities in enterprises, schools, and tourist sites. A creative interaction zone also allows visitors to design and create their own souvenir seals on-site, offering an immersive experience into the rich culture of Chinese seal engraving art. Furthermore, over 100 cultural and creative products labeled "Gifts of Beijing Central Axis" are available for purchase.

The exhibition runs from April 30 to June 1, 2025, at China Art Museum, Shanghai (Shanghai Art Museum), with free admission throughout its duration.