An exhibition featuring Jiangnan-style ornamental stones and bonsai trees has opened to the public at the Shanghai Museum East, offering visitors a chance to experience the charms of the local Jiangnan culture.

Jiangnan, literally "south of the river", is the name given to the region south of the lower reaches of Yangtze River.

The exhibition, which will run until Nov 11, is being held in the newly-opened Jiangnan Gallery and the Rooftop Garden of the Shanghai Museum East.

Among the exhibits are the four famous types of Chinese scholar's stones − Lingbi stones, Ying stones, Taihu stones, and Kun stones. Also on display are items of petrified wood − ancient wood that has been fossilized.

Jiangnan is the region where the culture of ornamental stone is most deeply rooted in China, with the stones decorating the studies of scholars for over a millennium.

The Shanghai-style bonsai is the youngest of the five Chinese bonsai tree genres and it has developed its distinctive characteristics over the course of more than four centuries.

Most of the bonsais on display are provided by the Shanghai Botanical Garden, and it is the first time the garden's works have been displayed at a museum.

Yan Wei, director of the Shanghai Botanical Garden, said that both the Jiangnan ornamental stones and Shanghai-style bonsais represent the cultural heritage of the Jiangnan region, showcasing the distinctive features of the enduring Jiangnan culture.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Botanical Garden as well as the opening of the Shanghai Museum East. The collaboration between the two institutions is an innovation aiming to transcend the boundaries of traditional botanical gardens, said Yan.

The Jiangnan Gallery of the Shanghai Museum East covers an area of 1,649 square meters, including a central atrium of 290 sq m as well as a 30-meter-long outdoor corridor, which is the only hall in the museum that allows visitors to see outdoor scenery.

The Jiangnan Gallery's permanent exhibition showcases traditional handicrafts of the Jiangnan area, with most of the relics on display being shown to the public for the first time.

Source: Shanghai Observer