Audience Visiting Exhibition, Image Source: Tsinghua University Science Museum
On March 20th, the opening ceremony of the exhibition "Exotic Gadgets: Western Science and Technology in the Late Qing Dynasty Scholars' Eyes" was held at the Tsinghua University Science Museum. Peng Gang, Vice President of Tsinghua University, Lou Wei, Executive Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, and Ruan Cao, Director of the Science and Technology Communication Center of China Association for Science and Technology, attended and delivered speeches. The opening ceremony was chaired by Wu Guosheng, Director of Tsinghua University Science Museum and Chair of the Department of History of Science. More than 100 people attended the event, including leaders from relevant departments and schools of Tsinghua University, peers from the museum industry, representatives of collection donors, representatives of "Friends of Science and Museums," the exhibition's curatorial and display teams, and representatives from student societies.
The opening ceremony commenced with a group photo of distinguished guests, featuring (from left to right) Ruan Cao, Peng Gang, Lou Wei, and Wu Guosheng. Image courtesy of the Tsinghua University Science Museum.
In his address, Peng Gang expressed gratitude to all attendees and commended the innovative exhibition planning and presentation of the "Overseas Wonders" exhibition. He highlighted how the exhibition at the Tsinghua University Science Museum showcased the institution's strengths in curatorship, seamlessly blending profound research with innovative presentation methods, and integrating exhibitions with talent cultivation and educational endeavors.
Following this, Lou Wei, representing the Palace Museum (the Forbidden City), extended congratulations on the successful organization of the exhibition. He praised the exhibition's ability to provide both entertainment and education, allowing visitors to not only gain insights into scientific knowledge but also appreciate the humanistic spirit behind it. Lou Wei emphasized the longstanding cooperative tradition and consensus between the Palace Museum and Tsinghua University, expressing hopes for broader and deeper collaboration in the future to create a cultural dissemination and public education system that balances science and history, innovation and heritage.
Ruan Cao, in her speech, noted that the "Overseas Wonders" exhibition not only showcased the fruitful achievements of the Tsinghua University Science Museum's six years of collection building, exhibition planning, and academic research but also demonstrated the rigorous curatorship and profound academic foundation of the Tsinghua Science Museum team. She emphasized how visitors could immerse themselves in the collision of Eastern and Western cultures from over a century ago, profoundly experiencing the significant implications of scientific and technological development for national status and human progress.
According to Wu Guosheng, the Tsinghua University Science Museum is China's first comprehensive research-oriented science museum with a collection focus. Visitors can experience the development of science and technology, appreciate the eternal charm of antique scientific instruments, and understand the social atmosphere and cultural heritage of technological development. With the help of enthusiastic faculty, students, alumni, and members of society, the museum has acquired a collection of historically significant Western scientific instruments and industrial products since the 18th century, laying the foundation for the formal opening of the Science Museum three years later.
The exhibition "Overseas Wonders: Western Science and Technology in the Eyes of Late Qing Scholars" showcased narratives of Late Qing scholars' experiences abroad. It was divided into five units: transportation, street scenes, Western tools, knowledge from museums, and the pursuit of learning. Through over 100 exquisite scientific instruments, pictorial artifacts, industrial products, and reconstructed scenes from the museum's collection, the exhibition vividly presented the flourishing changes in Western science and technology in the mid-19th century, prompting reflections on dimensions of thought and lifestyle.
Finally, curator Wang Jing provided background information on the exhibition's curation. She expressed sincere gratitude to the curatorship and exhibition team members, donors of exhibits, and all those who provided support from within and outside the university for their contributions and hard work.
Following the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Lou Wei, Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, along with Wu Guosheng, Director of the Tsinghua University Science Museum, engaged in fruitful discussions at the Humanities Building, focusing on strengthening cooperation and advancing academic research on the "Western Learning Going East" initiative.
