NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release September 30, 2010

China’s Terracotta Army exhibition tour of cancelled

Victoria, BC – The final two scheduled stops of the Canadian tour of The Warrior Emperor and ’s Terracotta Army exhibition have been cancelled at the Royal BC Museum and the Glenbow Museum in .

The Royal BC Museum was informed by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto ‐ organizers of the Canadian tour ‐ that the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre, People’s Republic of China, has decided not to tour the exhibition to Western Canada as previously announced.

Chinese cultural officials (Shaanxi) have informed the Royal BC Museum and Glenbow Museum that the reason for the cancellation is the strict new enforcement of a regulation limiting to one year the length of time Terracotta Army artifacts can remain outside China. This is based on increasing measures to ensure the artifacts are preserved for future generations.

The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army, which opened at the ROM in June, was scheduled for a four‐ month run at the Royal BC Museum from Dec. 23, 2011 to Apr. 22, 2012. The presentation at the Glenbow Museum was slated for July 30, 2011 to Nov. 2011. The exhibition will now return to China following its run at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which opens Feb. 11, 2011.

“We are extremely disappointed that the Royal BC Museum will not have the opportunity as planned to give British Columbians a rare look at this remarkable archaeological discovery,” said Pauline Rafferty, CEO of the Royal BC Museum. “While we accept the decision, we regret that we will not be able to share China’s rich cultural legacy with our visitors. Together with our community Cultural Advisory Committee we will look for ways to celebrate B.C.’s Asian heritage through exhibitions and events.”

The original two‐year, four‐venue Canadian tour was announced at the ROM in January 2010 with an understanding from the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre that an extension would be granted. This has been the case during other recent international tours, but the official position on two‐year tours has recently changed.

Rafferty said the Royal BC Museum is already evaluating a number of other potential exhibitions for its 2012 exhibition schedule.

“The Royal BC Museum will continue to seek out opportunities to bring the world’s cultures to British Columbia and share them with our visitors,” said Rafferty. “We know that presenting exciting international exhibitions can be a great success for our partners in the tourism and business community, as well as with educational and cultural partners.” ‐ more ‐ ‐2‐

As the provincial museum and archives, the Royal BC Museum preserves and shares the stories of British Columbia – on‐site, off‐site and online – through its research, collections, exhibitions and educational programs. Its two‐hectare cultural precinct also includes a number of historically significant buildings and sites.

For more information about the Royal BC Museum, call 1‐888‐447‐7977 or visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

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Media contacts:

Royal BC Museum Media Enquiries Glenbow Museum Royal Ontario Museum 250‐387‐3207 Tanis Shortt, Manager Shelagh O’Donnell, Head of [email protected] Marketing & Communications Communications 403‐268‐4217 416‐586‐5858 [email protected] [email protected]