Virtual Symposium | China and the Maritime Silk Road: Shipwrecks, Ports, and Products | Asian Civilisations Museum

 
China and the Maritime Silk Road. Image courtesy of ACM.jpg
 
 
 

CHINA AND THE
MARITIME SILK ROAD

Shipwrecks, Ports, and Products

 
 

August 21 — 23, 2020

Tang Shipwreck gallery. Image courtesy of Asian Civilisations Museum.

Held in conjunction with the Tang Shipwreck Collection exhibition at Shanghai Museum (15 September 2020 to 10 January 2021), this webinar brings together leading international scholars, curators, and archaeologists to discuss the most up-to-date research and findings about China and the Maritime Silk Road.

The Maritime Silk Road has long been known as a conduit for trade and cultural exchange between China and the rest of the world, initially developed to satisfy growing Chinese demand for special spices, medicinal herbs, and raw materials. This resulted in a rich network of trade that reached beyond island southeast Asia to the fringes of the Indian Ocean – and what was arguably, one of the most important trade routes of its time.

In each of the sessions, the speakers will give brief presentations on their research followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session with the audience. Key topics and new findings to be discussed over the 3-day symposium include:

  • A new shipwreck that had been discovered in Thailand a few years ago that bears close resemblance to the Tang Shipwreck and dates back to the same period — Abhirada Komoot sheds light on the rare cargo it had been carrying, and how this contributes to the Maritime Silk Road narrative

  • The recent identification of clear Islamic phrases on the Belitung bowls, for the first time

  • The new archaeological discoveries that had been made at a lost trading port near Shanghai’s Qinglong City, including ceramics that date back to the 8th or 9th century and are similar to the Tang Shipwreck cargo

The China and the Maritime Silk Road Symposium is organized by the Asian Civilisations Museum Singapore with support from MCCY. The symposium will open with a welcome address by Singapore’s Senior Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean, and a keynote lecture by Dr Tansen Sen, the world’s leading scholar of India-China relations.

Sessions have been scheduled to accommodate the time zones of the speakers. All times are Singapore Standard Time (GMT +8). Note: Simultaneous translation (English to Chinese, Chinese to English) will be available via the Zoom platform. 注意:以下的节目会提供英文到中文, 中文到英文的同声传译.

 
 
 

Day 1
Friday, August 21, 2020

View of the Bund with a regatta in progress, Shanghai, 1849–51.
© Asian Civilisations Museum [2017-01077]

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Day 2
Saturday, August 22, 2020

 

Blue and white dish, Jingdezhen, China, 15th century.
© Asian Civilisations Museum [1999-00447]

 
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Ritual hanging, cotton and resist dyes, India for the Southeast Asian market, 18th century.
© Asian Civilisations Museum [2009-02142]

 
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Day 3
Sunday, August 23, 2020

 

Japanese print of a Dutch ship, 1738-1793.
© Asian Civilisations Museum [2015-00208]

 

Tradescant jar, ceramic, late Ming period.
© Asian Civilisations Museum [2012-00385]

 
 
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