Meow, Cats @ The British Library Arrives in Shanghai

Take a stroll through the vicissitudes of time and explore the fabulous journey of cats through the last ten thousand years!

Meow, Cats @ The British Library is a special exhibition that explores the journey of cats and how it has intertwined with mankind. Using cats' paw-prints as the main narration, the show sorts the identities of cats, how they have shaped and evolved and entangled themselves with human civilization, with a reproduction of an array of rich collections that document cats and humans from the British Library.

Dating back to the Neolithic Ages, the ancestors of house cats, the African Wildcats, first entered human society due to an outbreak of hamsters that plagued the community. This marked the beginning of a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship between Man and Cat.

From the exhibition, visitors can witness the rise of cats and how that created a stronghold of a Cat Empire: From worshipped incarnations of Goddess Bastet in Ancient Egypt, to a symbol and totem of civilization and worship in the Ottoman Empire; to the exotic pets that entered China and Japan via the ancient Silk Road, the influence that cats have had on mankind throughout history is a spectacle and worthy of understanding.

Other exhibits include appreciating the description and depiction of cats by literary giants and art geniuses, as well as notable figures like British scientist Isaac Newton and British leader Winston Churchill having their cats alongside them as they impacted the world.

The show will not just be a traditional display of texts and pictures; curators have included multi-sensory mechanisms and automated guidance and explanations that transform the whole learning experience, as academic knowledge is presented in a fun, cultural space where everything can be seen, felt and experienced.

If you go:

Date: June 27-October 18

Venue: Shanghai Library East Branch 上海图书馆 (东馆)

Address: 300 Yingchun Road, Pudong New Area

浦东新区迎春路300号