16 | Thursday, January 21, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | DAILY LIFE A variety of treasures

TV show, with celebrities, drama and comedy, highlights significant relics from China’s rich history, Wang Kaihao reports.

ariety and reality shows have captured increasing audience numbers recently, and the appeal ofV cultural heritage program is growing among those watching either on TV or through online streaming media platforms. A long list of celebrities, not pre­ viously known for their views on culture, have participated in these shows, ushering audiences to take a closer look at the breathtaking beauty of highlighted relics or the exquisite details found in ancient architecture. The rise of this new genre of Chi­ nese TV may be largely credited to The Nation’s Greatest Treasures, a variety show that premiered in 2017. Before its first season, many people — not only academics and museum admin­ istrators, but also its own producers Three generations of fresco restorers within one family — Li Yunhe (second from left), his son (second — harbored doubts about its success. from right), and his grandson (first from left) — who are devoted to prolonging the life of the Mogao Hardly surprising considering Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province, attend the new season of the variety show, The Nation’s Greatest that when plans for the program Treasures. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY were initially drafted the response from some museum directors when contacted by phone by the show’s says. “But speaking of their deeper each piece of clothing has to be con­ production team was barely masked cultural meaning, the general pub­ firmed in triplicate: ancient docu­ incredulity. Those that took up the lic’s understanding may be less ments, paintings and cultural relics. offer were often met with quizzical We used to promote informed, and our show explains “In design,’’ Chen says, ‘‘we cannot interrogation from their peers along our stone relics in the bigger picture by presenting the take anything for granted.” The the lines of: “Is this true? You really details in an approachable way.” audience, Chen adds, rightly want to go on the show?” traditional ways... Some lesser­known pieces have demands authenticity. With no previous reference However, the creative been introduced to the public by For such a show, purely academic against which to measure its appeal, familiar faces. For example, a bronze accuracy is insufficient for the view­ or lack thereof, it was natural for thinking brought by crane, covered by verdigris, from er to get emotionally involved. Such experts to worry that history would the show’s film crew Qinshihuang’s mausoleum may not a reaction depends on stories. be distorted again by an entertain­ has reminded us that be that famous compared with the Compared with ancient tales ment program. world­renowned terracotta figures. behind the relics, which are often However, the trial broadcast more diverse cultural However, in a stage drama produced connected with famous historical turned out to be hugely successful. expression is and performed for the program, figures, director Yu says it is more On popular film and TV review plat­ actor Fu Dalong vividly unveils a rul­ challenging to find modern heroes form Douban, that first season gar­ needed.” er’s romantic and ambitious expec­ with destinies that are inseparable nered a score of 9.1 points out of 10. tation for his empire through stories from these artifacts. But once found, Zhang Yun, deputy director of The second season, in 2018, was even Xi’an Beilin Museum decoded by archaeologists and histo­ their stories will inspire. more popular — it posted 9.2 points. rians that are linked to the bronze Some such heroes have left their Now, a new, third season is airing. crane. The actor found wide popu­ mark and the program shows just After its premiere in December, it imperial palace often described as larity in a TV drama in 2017, titled what they have done. Take fresco achieved a 9.5­point score on Dou­ the , which celebrat­ The Qin Empire, starring as one of restorer Li Yunhe, for example. For ban, making it one of the highest­ ed its 600th anniversary last year, Qinshihuang’s predecessors. over half a century, he, along with his rated Chinese variety shows on the remains as a focus, but its “trea­ Meanwhile, archaeologist Zhang son and grandson, like a relay team, website. sures” turn out to be larger. The Weixing, a “modern guardian” of the have passed the cultural baton to “We were facing pressure from Meridian Gate, for example, at the artifact, also shows how it is scruti­ each new generation to continue the audiences to make the third season,” southern entrance to the imperial nized and studied in a lab using restoration of Dunhuang’s precious Yu Lei, chief director of the pro­ city, was chosen as one of the three state­of­the­art technology. heritage. gram, says. “We were wondering treasures to show off its architec­ Even what might be considered Another such exemplar is Zhao whether to keep going with the tural splendor. mundane has the power to fascinate. Zhen, a photographer that focuses existing format, or try to create Moreover, the other eight sites in A millennium­old drinks bill from on the Terracotta Warriors, who something new.” the third season, like the Forbidden Dunhuang, Gansu province, has could barely conceal his excitement The existing format was a tried and City, are not just museums, but have been returned after an elaborate when recalling his discovery of a fin­ tested formula that proved success­ all witnessed key events in the devel­ journey. Initially taken abroad from gerprint left by an artisan on the ful. It was simple. Three key collec­ opment of Chinese civilization. Dunhuang around 1900, it came body of one of the warriors about tions from one museum were They are the 3,300­year­old back to China via a Japanese collec­ 2,000 years ago. Zhao said he had “a highlighted in each episode. One Ruins in province, where the tor. Its tale is presented by actress dialogue” with the ancient sculptor focused on the Palace Museum in earliest­known Chinese written Ning Chang with an insight that is that spanned the expanse of time. Beijing and the others on eight pro­ characters were excavated; the absorbing. And some unexpected dialogue vincial­level museums. Each piece of in Dunhuang, Gansu The static relics can unroll a between the show and new archaeo­ cultural treasure was introduced by province, a group of Buddhist grot­ dynamic and grandiose picture of logical findings brings even more celebrities through short historical toes ranging from the fourth to 14th Chinese history, Yu says. For exam­ surprises. stage dramas or comedies, after centuries; the in Lha­ ple, the bronze ritual items residing While a stele in the Xi’an Beilin which its background information sa, the Tibet autonomous region; in ’ hometown represent Museum is chosen to showcase Tang was supplied by experts or those cur­ the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, Chinese people’s connection with Dynasty (618­907) calligraphy mas­ From top: The new season of The Nation’s Greatest Treasures rently studying or safeguarding it. Jiangsu province; the 2,500­year­ ceremonies throughout history. ter Yan Zhenqing’s patriotism, a features 27 key relics, including the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, But, the extraordinary events of old Temple and Cemetery of Confu­ A portrait of Princess Wencheng woman’s epigraphy, which is a rare Gansu province; the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City in Beijing; 2020 has helped Yu obtain a wider cius and the hanging in Potala Palace shows example of Yan’s early­stage works, and a bronze crane unearthed from Qinshihuang’s mausoleum in perspective for the current season. in , province; as well how harmonious relationships was unearthed in Xi’an in November. Shaanxi province. Actor Xu Huanshan (right) plays Tang Dynasty She thought the show could as the Site in Guanghan, between different ethnic groups “The coincidence provides more (618­907) calligraphy guru Yan Zhenqing in a short stage drama on embody both the glory and the hard­ Sichuan province, which is testa­ were cherished. attention for our museum,” says the show. ship that has been faced by the coun­ ment to bronze­age civilization dat­ Yu says that the team carries out Zhang Yun, deputy director of Xi’an try and humanity. She explains: ing back to 3,200 years ago. extensive research. “When we make Beilin Museum. “We used to promote “When we look back at our history, Also appearing in the show are a show about one cultural relic, it’s our stone relics in traditional ways treasures” is an ongoing journey. the show was only to make muse­ we are actually thinking about where the home of the Terracotta Warriors like writing for a master’s degree,” because we thought it was a serious According to Yu, the previous two ums popular and encourage more we are headed in the future. That — the 2,200­year­old mausoleum of she says. topic. However, the creative thinking seasons of the show have been, or people to visit them. also reminds us what we need to Emperor Qinshihuang, the first brought by the show’s film crew has are in the process of being, translat­ “We are not afraid that similar cherish in terms of our heritage.” emperor of China — and Xi’an Beilin Cultural dialogue reminded us that more diverse cul­ ed into eight languages to be broad­ shows may come, and it’s great to Therefore, the team decided to Museum, where over 10,000 pre­ The production team realizes tural expression is needed.” cast both at home and abroad. see them help spread our fine tradi­ expand the horizon of the program, cious stone carvings are housed, that, to visualize a historical scene, “For museums, participating in Cooperating with the BBC, the show tional culture,” she says. “We just she says. including steles, epigraphs and oth­ accuracy is paramount. Clothing, such programs means extra work, was also adapted into a six­episode need to keep our own skills honed er engraved calligraphy, both in articles of daily use and stage set­ but it’s worthwhile if we want to derivative documentary China’s and constantly evolve.” A new start Xi’an, Shaanxi province. tings have to comply with the period have greater influence,” she adds. Greatest Treasures in 2019. In the third season, the Palace “People love Dunhuang, and they represented. According to Chen Shi­ For the show’s production team, In spite of the achievement, Yu Contact the writer at Museum, the former Chinese love the Terracotta Warriors,” Yu yu, the show’s costume consultant, expanding the influence of “Chinese humbly says that the original goal of [email protected] Dinosaur footprints found in Fujian province

FUZHOU — A team of Chinese small theropods and ornithopods, pits and other three­toed marks been eating and drinking along a paleontologists has identified more scientists told a recent news confer­ “that look like clover leaves” left by lake, the scientists said. than 240 fossilized dinosaur foot­ ence held in Fuzhou, capital of Fuji­ hadrosaurs, according to the “More dinosaur fossils, including prints in ’s Fujian prov­ an province. researcher. footprints, bones or eggs, could be ince, the first traces of dinosaur “Judging from the size of the foot­ The finding is of particular signifi­ discovered in the province in the activity found in the province. prints, which were 8 to 55 centime­ cance given the scarcity of Upper future,” says Peng Guangzhao, a The site of the dinosaur tracks in ters long, the lengths of the Cretaceous dinosaur footprints in veteran paleontologist and former Shanghang county, covering an area dinosaurs range from 1 meter to 10 China, he adds. curator of Zigong Dinosaur Muse­ of about 1,600 square meters, is the meters,” says Xing Lida, a member The site also revealed footprints um, who helped identify the discov­ largest and the most diverse such of the research team and associate that were left by large bird­like dei­ ery. site dating back to the Upper Creta­ professor at the China University of nonychosauria, the first such find­ Local officials say the site is under ceous period discovered in China, Geosciences. ing of the Upper Cretaceous strict protection and surveillance according to scientists. The footprints include three­ dinosaur nationwide, according to while authorities carry out long­ A researcher examines some The 80­million­year­old tracks in toed imprints left by carnivorous Xing. term plans to preserve the fossils Over 240 fossilized footprints, footprints of dinosaurs at the Shanghang county were left by at theropods, which stood out with Geological analysis of the site, and any future discoveries. from eight types of dinosaurs, dinosaur track site in Shang­ least eight types of dinosaurs, sharp claw marks, sauropod foot­ which was well preserved when dis­ have been identified at the site. hang county, Fujian province. including sauropods, large and prints that resemble large round covered, suggests the dinosaurs had XINHUA PHOTOS BY LIN SHANCHUAN / XINHUA