"Rivers and Seas Origins · Light of Civilization — The 'Return Home' Exhibition of Cultural Relics Unearthed from Qingdun Site"

The Qingdun Site is the earliest prehistoric cultural relic discovered in the eastern coastal region of the Jianghuai area. Its discovery overturned the long-held assumption in the archaeological community that no prehistoric culture existed in this region, pushing the history of civilization in the Jianghai Plain back over 3,000 years. Known as the "Cradle of Jianghai Civilization," the site serves as crucial evidence supporting the multi-component yet unified framework of Chinese civilization. In 2006, it was designated as a national key cultural heritage site by the State Council in its sixth batch of listings.

01 Exhibition Content

This exhibition is jointly organized by the province, city, and county, using cultural relics that have been separated from their hometown for nearly half a century as emotional bonds. Through the concentrated display of representative artifacts unearthed from Qingdun in Nanjing Museum and Nantong Museum, we jointly trace the prehistoric civilization imprint of Qingdun. This is a deep exploration and revitalization of the cultural value of Qingdun, opening a window for the general public to touch the historical temperature and guard the cultural roots at their doorstep.

The exhibition consists of four major chapters: "Fishing and Farming in the Land of Joy - The Life Scenes of Our Ancestors", "Craftsmanship and Craftsmanship - Aesthetic Exploration in Artifacts", "Clan Code - The Dawn of Civilization", and "The Dawn of Light - The Interaction between Qingdun and Surrounding Cultures". Starting from the daily life, aesthetic pursuits, primitive beliefs, and cultural integration of the Qingdun ancestors, this article systematically showcases their glorious journey from adapting to nature to creating civilization. More than 130 pieces (sets) of cultural relics were exhibited this time, covering various categories such as stone tools, jade artifacts, and bone and horn dental utensils. Among them, precious cultural relics such as perforated red pottery axes with handles, carved deer antlers, jade congs, and jade big stones were prominently displayed, with great ornamental and research value.

This is a historical retrospective, but also a continuation of the spirit. The resilience, wisdom, and pioneering courage inherent in the ancestors of Qingdun have transcended time and space, becoming a profound foundation and inexhaustible driving force for contemporary children of the river and sea to build their homes and create the future. We sincerely invite citizens and tourists to enter the exhibition hall and engage in dialogue with the ancient Qingdun civilization, to understand the historical thickness of their hometown through cultural relics, and to let prehistoric civilization shine with new brilliance in contemporary times!

02 Exhibition Site

Visit time: 8:30-12:00 AM 2:00-5:00 PM (extended opening at noon during the Spring Festival holiday) Exhibition time: February 7-May 7, 2026

Exhibition Location: First Floor Exhibition Hall of Hai'an Museum

This exhibition is open to the public for free, and we sincerely invite you to take the time to visit!