Lingjiatan in Dhaka: Bridging the Past and Present Through Civilization

Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid :

Stepping into the Bangladesh National Museum, visitors are greeted by a hall showcasing pictorial displays and replicas of bronzes, jades, and ritual artifacts from Anhui Province, offering a glimpse into the Lingjiatan culture, a Chinese civilization that flourished 5,000 years ago.

Both Bangladesh National Museum and Anhui Museum jointly orchestrated a month-long exhibition for Bangladeshi people to link not only the past with the present but also link two countries in their shared pursuit of cultural understanding.

It showcased the rich historical heritage and deep cultural significance of the Lingjiatan site through 50 display panels celebrating 50 years of diplomatic ties between China and Bangladesh, alongside 38 sets of jade replicas, including a jade eagle, jade dragon, and jade figurines.

One wall displays portray the burial practice of the prehistoric residents of Lingjiatan, who lived communally and were buried in a shared cemetery. The burial customs suggested a social stratification in that society. Funeral objects varied in quality and quantity, indicating social stratification, labour division, and wealth gap.

Some pictures highlight social stratification. The aristocrats held ritual and ceremonial authority and oversaw divination practices. Below it were the artisans, freed from farming to devote themselves to handicrafts. The lives of the commoners were centered on farming, livestock rearing, and hunting.

Another picture of large jade pig delineates that such jade may have been used as a tomb-guardian or indicator. In another description on ritual jades, it is said that they were the symbol of wealth and power and crystalised the mysterious culture of the Lingjiatan residents.

The exhibition is more than a showcase of ancient relics. It is an experiment in cultural diplomacy, where artifacts speak across borders, and history does the work of building trust.

When people talk about China and Bangladesh, the focus usually slides to loans, trade, strategy and geopolitics. Lingjiatan reminds us that the ties between peoples are not just contemporary bargains but part of a much older human story.

At the opening of the exhibition, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as the Chief Guest emphasised the power of cultural heritage in building bridges between nations.

She stated that events like the Lingjiatan Culture Exhibition highlight the deep interconnection between civilizations through their shared creativity, resilience, and historical experiences.

“This exhibition goes beyond showcasing art and artifacts—it symbolises a profound bond between Bangladesh and China,” she said, adding that the two nations share not only diplomatic ties but also values, visions, and a deep sense of friendship.

While Sun Yong, Vice Governor of Anhui Province said that culture is the lifeline of a nation and civilization carries the wisdom and spirit of humanity across time, noting that both China and Bangladesh are home to ancient and profound civilizations.

He also expressed hope that the Lingjiatan Culture Exhibition would offer Bangladeshi friends a deeper understanding of Chinese heritage and foster mutual learning between the two peoples.

Highlighting the significance of such event, he emphasised that the exhibition opens up new opportunities for cooperation in various areas including historical research, archaeological excavation, environmental protection, and tourism development.

However, skeptics will continue arguing that such shows are just soft power—a way for China to project influence. But reciprocity is built into this partnership.

The deeper lesson of Lingjiatan is that heritage grows when shared. A jade ornament doesn’t lose its meaning when displayed in Dhaka; it gains new life, linked to a wider human narrative.
For Bangladeshi audiences, it becomes part of a comparative story: how different societies along rivers experimented with farming, ritual, and art. For Chinese curators, it is a chance to see how their heritage is interpreted abroad.

The Lingjiatan exhibition should be seen as a template. Other provinces can follow, sending their archaeological treasures to Bangladesh and elsewhere. Dhaka can curate shows on Bengal’s own ancient cultures, including Mahasthangarh, Wari-Bateshwar, or the terracotta traditions of Paharpur for Chinese people.

When Bangladeshi visitors encounter Anhui’s relics, they are not only learning about Chinese civilization but also encountering a mirror through which they can view their own cultural journey. The meeting of civilizations deepens mutual respect. It reminds us that heritage is not a solitary possession but part of a global dialogue.

Such exchanges matter particularly in today’s interconnected world. Where political rhetoric may sometimes divide, cultural artifacts remind us of shared human aspirations.

Both China and Bangladesh draw from ancient river valley civilizations; both have histories shaped by trade, migration, and dialogue with neighbours. Recognising these parallels fosters empathy, and empathy is the true beginning of diplomacy.

Besides, a young person who views Anhui’s relics may be inspired to study archaeology, history, or art. In this way, exhibitions plant seeds of future scholarship and collaboration. They ensure that cultural diplomacy does not end with the closing of the gallery doors but extends into the classrooms, research institutions, and creative industries of tomorrow.

Bangladesh and China have already established strong ties in trade and infrastructure, yet it is cultural diplomacy that provides these ties with depth and resilience.

Roads, bridges, and ports may carry goods, but shared appreciation of heritage carries meaning. It ensures that cooperation is not transactional but transformational.

The visitors said that such arrangement help them to carry the awareness that civilizations are not isolated monuments of the past but living traditions that continue to influence how nations engage today.

When two nations open their museums, their art, and their treasure trove of history to each other, they do far more than display artifacts behind glass cases. They allow their people both young and old alike to enter into a dialogue across time and geography.

Anhui’s display of jade and civilization in Bangladesh is not simply an exhibition; it is an act of dialogue, a gesture of goodwill, and an invitation to shared reflection with the learning of jade – harmony, endurance, and beauty.

(The Writer is a Diplomatic Correspondent of The New Nation)