China’s Sanxingdui Museum eyes future tech to showcase ancient treasures overseas

Name: Ancient treasure trove unearthed in southwest China sheds light on mysterious kingdom
Uploaded: 2025-09-28T02:00:14.000Z
Duration: 1 min 43 s
Description: Ancient treasure trove unearthed in southwest China sheds light on mysterious kingdom

As China steps up soft power push, curators seek ways to engage a broader audience without putting national treasures at risk

Reading Time:3 minutes

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Discovered in the late 1920s and excavated extensively since the 1980s, the Sanxingdui site has yielded more than 17,000 artefacts, including numerous bronze masks with exaggerated facial features. Photo: May Tse

Xinlu Liangin Guanghan, Sichuan

Published: 10:00am, 28 Sep 2025Updated: 9:04am, 29 Sep 2025

China’s Sanxingdui archaeological site – considered a cornerstone of early Chinese civilisation from 4,500 years ago – is pioneering digital exhibitions to show a broader international audience its immense collection, including top national treasures not permitted to travel overseas.

Yu Jian, deputy director of the Sanxingdui Museum in southwestern China, said the institution planned to show its artefacts at an international exhibition next year.

Final plans for the exhibition required state approval, Yu told reporters last week at the museum in Guanghan, Sichuan province.

While many of Sanxingdui’s most iconic artefacts are designated top national treasures and forbidden from leaving China, immersive technology can help overcome that hurdle.

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Ancient treasure trove unearthed in southwest China sheds light on mysterious kingdom

In addition to its main artefacts exhibition, the museum is actively promoting digital exhibitions, replicas and high-quality photo exhibitions to be displayed in museums around the world, Yu said.

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