The Qingpu Museum launched a special exhibition titled “Stars Shining in the East: Qingpu Archaeology and the Exploration of Yangtze River Delta Civilization” on May 18, International Museum Day.

Using archaeological discoveries as key evidence, the exhibition unlocks the civilizational code of the Yangtze River Delta region, revealing how its areas are geographically close and culturally connected.

The exhibition is built on the core findings from two major prehistoric sites in Qingpu – Songze and Fuquanshan. It features 148 precious Neolithic artifacts, including plant and animal remains, pottery, stone tools, and jade items, spanning the Majiabang, Songze, Liangzhu, and Guangfulin cultural sequences. Highlights include a painted pottery piglet from the Majiabang culture and Liangzhu jade cong and bi.

The exhibition is arranged in three thematic units: “The Light of Songze,” “The Peak of Fuquanshan,” and “Integration and Coexistence.”

“The Light of Songze” focuses on the Songze site, exploring the “Origin of Shanghai” and tracing the beginnings of civilization over 6,000 years ago, from Shanghai’s first human skull to cultivated rice, and from artisanal pottery to early ritual systems, revealing the foundation of the “Songze Cultural Circle.”

“The Peak of Fuquanshan” highlights the Fuquanshan site, known as the “Eastern Pyramids of Earth.” Layers of five colored soil record time itself, while Liangzhu jade and black pottery demonstrate the peak of craftsmanship. Relics of kingship and priesthood reveal the apex of an ancient state civilization.

“Integration and Coexistence” brings together prehistoric artifacts from across the Yangtze River Delta. Based on similar production technologies and shared rice farming culture, the consistent ritual vessel assemblages provide solid evidence of a cultural community that had already taken shape 5,000 years ago.

Through scene reconstructions and multimedia displays, the exhibition vividly recreates the lives of prehistoric people. From the initial integration of the Songze cultural circle to the high unity of Liangzhu civilization, and from technological exchange to spiritual resonance, every artifact tells the story of how the Yangtze River Delta region grew together through coexistence and integration, embodying the pluralistic yet unified pattern of Chinese civilization.

Exhibition Venue: Temporary Exhibition Hall, Qingpu Museum, ShanghaiAddress: 1000 Huaqing Road S., Qingpu District, ShanghaiExhibition Dates: May 18, 2026 – September 13, 2026