One mountain, one river, one sage: Treasures from the Shandong Library

Date: 7 September 2018 to 20 January 2019

Location: State Library Gallery and Treasures Wall

Loyal Dog from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio Pu Songling 1640 to 1715 Coloured drawing 1851 to 1908 Image courtesy of Shandong Provincial Library

Loyal Dog from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Pu Songling (1640-1715), Coloured drawing 1851-1908. Image courtesy of Shandong Provincial Library

From the home of Confucius, Shandong Province, comes an exhibition steeped in 3,000 years of Chinese civilisation and history. 'One mountain, one river, one sage', a well-known Shandong saying, represents the importance of nature (Mount Tai and the Yellow River) and philosophy (Confucius) in Chinese history and culture.

This exhibition tells the stories of Shandong Province through rare pieces from the Shandong Library, and features over 60 original items including ancient books, press plates, calligraphy tools, paintings, wall hangings and stone rubbings. The oldest original items on display are five books of Yongle Beizang Buddhist sutras, which were engraved and printed between 1419 and 1440.

Explore ancient everyday life in Jinan, capital of Shandong Province, and learn about key historical figures, such as Confucius, Mencius, the Emperors, imperial families, and the people of Shandong. Discover the printing and binding methods of ancient books and how the Shandong Library is preserving the history of their country for future generations.

The relationship between the State Library and Shandong Library is the result of an agreement to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, through sharing cultural and library knowledge. Both libraries share similar goals to collect and preserve the history and stories of our communities and make these available to all.

The State Library of South Australia is honoured to be working with the Shandong Library to bring this significant exhibition of treasures that have never been shown outside of China to Australia.