Treasures of Jiangnan on Display in Shanghai
An exhibition featuring more than 150 rare documents from the Yangtze River Delta region, including Princess Diana's royal wedding silk order, opened at the Shanghai Archives on Thursday.
Key items on display include historical land management records, ancient imperial exam papers, old photos of major infrastructure projects, and personal letters from wartime pilots and local revolutionaries.
The regional archive bureaus of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui have jointly organized the exhibition.
The collection spans 2,000 years of regional history across four dedicated themes covering cultural heritage, commerce, revolution and regional integration in the Jiangnan (regions to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) area.
One highlight is an original 1981 royal order from the British royal family for the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The document details a purchase of 14 rolls, or 420 yards, of deep purple taffeta silk produced by Suzhou Dongwu Silk Weaving Factory in Jiangsu.
The exhibition also offers a rare look into ancient Chinese governance and society. Visitors can view a 1499 triennial metropolitan exam paper written by the famous philosopher Wang Yangming during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Archive files from the same period reveal that foreign nationals could participate in the imperial examinations. For example, a 1371 registration record shows a candidate from the Goryeo Kingdom, on the Korean Peninsula, passing the palace exam with high honors before returning home to serve as a top government official.
Other sections track the economic and physical development of the region. Displays include Huizhou land records and detailed cadastral survey maps from the Ming Dynasty, alongside modern land concessions from the Shanghai Land Regulations archives spanning 1847 to 1930.
Visitors can also view historic blueprints, old photographs, and handwritten memoirs from famed bridge engineer Mao Yisheng regarding the construction and strategic destruction of the Qiantang River Bridge in 1937.
Wartime humanitarian efforts are documented through military rescue files from 1942. The display includes a handwritten SOS letter from a US pilot belonging to the Doolittle Raiders. Local villagers in Zhejiang rescued the crew after their bombers ran out of fuel and crashed following a raid on Tokyo.
The organizers also launched a new book compiling historical letters and manuscripts from local revolutionary martyrs and prominent contemporary figures. Archives officials said they plan to deepen regional partnerships to make these historical assets more accessible to the public.
If you go:
Date: Through December 31
Admission: Free
Venue: Shanghai Archives
Address: 811 Qiancheng Road, Pudong New Area
浦东新区前程路811号
Transportation: Longyang Road Station, Metro Lines 2, 16, and 18
