East Meets West at the Silk Road Exhibit

A new German-Chinese exhibition titled “East Meets West: the Maritime Silk Road” took place in a museum of Hamburg, Germany last summer. The exhibition, including 120 items like shipwreck debris, porcelain, plants and religious and cultural artifacts, represents the Maritime Silk Road during the 13th to 17th centuries. The museum was opened by the father of its director, Peter Tamm, in 2008 after a lifetime of collecting maritime models and relics. From the Stone Age to modern times, the oldest piece on display in the museum is the first form of the boat, which is called the “dug-out”. It’s a tree trunk about thousands of years old, and is hollowed out with the simplest of tools. Tamm’s father often said that oceans were essential for mankind to exchange and trade with each other. “As my father’s motto goes, we are thrilled to have this exhibition and we are happy that more and more museum-goers are interested in Chinese culture and the Silk Road history,” said Tamm. At the exhibition, the most noticeable items are the Nanhai No. 1 shipwreck from the Song Dynasty and the invaluable cultural relics from the ship. This ancient ship sailed out of China to trade with regions in Southeast Asia. Although the ship sank, its structure is well-preserved for thousands of years, holding some interesting information about the Maritime Silk Road in it. The ship, recovered off the coast of South China, was vital in bringing China closer to the rest of the world. From the exhibition, we know how different cultures and civilizations interacted in an amazingly peaceful way in the past. This exhibition will contribute to the further understanding between China and Germany.