The Archaeological Museum of Alicante will host from 28 March the international exhibition '.The Legacy of the Qin and Han Dynasties, China. The Warriors of Xi'an'.. This has been announced by the president of the Diputación de Alicante, Carlos Mazóntogether with the first vice-president and deputy for culture, Julia Parraand the Ambassador of the P.R. China in Spain, Wu Haitaowho welcomed the interest aroused by the exhibition at its official presentation in the China Cultural Centre in Madrid.
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Mazón said he was proud that, after years of intense work by the teams of the MARQ and the Museums of Shaanxi and Xi'an, "at last the most brilliant discovery in the history of archaeology is coming to the city of light and the land of the sun at a time when it is necessary and long awaited". The provincial president also highlighted the symbolism of the latest exhibitions at MARQ, "such as 'Gladiators' and 'Warriors', the Alicante public has fought hard for this exhibition and now is the time to make the most of it from a cultural, tourist and economic point of view," he said.
The head of Culture of the Provincial Council, for her part, has detailed the progress of the project with the accompaniment of a descriptive video of the proposal. "The Archaeological Museum of Alicante is preparing to be the best host thanks to the work of a large team of experts led by our archaeologists, and I can tell you that the museographic proposal that accompanies the exhibition is spectacular". According to Julia Parra, "few institutions in the world have had the privilege of hosting original pieces of the impressive terracotta army of Xi'an in their rooms, and this is a measure of the prestige that the MARQ enjoys in the most reputable international cultural circles for its quality, security and excellence".
In his opening remarks, the Ambassador of the P.R. China in Spain highlighted the special interest of this joint proposal which highlights the history of one of the most ancient civilisations and the strong relationship of respect and partnership established between the two participating countries. Wu Haitao acknowledged that "this exhibition is the most important bilateral cultural project in recent years to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between our states", sealed on 9 March 1973.
The exhibition is curated by Professor and Chair of Archaeological Science at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Marcos Martinón-TorresThe world authority on research into these extraordinary terracotta sculptures, which have been declared a World Heritage Site. The renowned expert stressed that "this is the first exhibition on Chinese material culture that puts research at the centre: visitors will learn about the history of China, but also about the latest advances by entering for the first time into the laboratories where scientists are looking for answers".
Martinón-Torres defined the proposal as "a new and unique experience, as an exhibition of this calibre has never before been held in Spain". The project will be completed with the edition of a compilation book which will cover general aspects and new scientific developments of interest.
Ten months of permanence at MARQ
The collection 'The Legacy of the Qin and Han Dynasties, China. The Warriors of Xi'an'. will remain in Alicante from 28 March 2023 to 28 January 2024, which is the maximum period of exhibition abroad allowed by the Chinese authorities. Includes five replicas and 130 original partsmany of which have never been exhibited outside China. The originals include nine warriors and a horse terracotta, ten elements of enormous uniqueness and value which are the maximum number that can leave the country. The replicas include two cars.
The exhibition se will be distributed in the three temporary rooms The tour will also include the Noble Hall of the Museum's Library, where a video will be shown to introduce visitors to modern-day China. The architectural approach and the design, the work of the architect Ángel Rocamora, has counted on the collaboration of the director of the Architecture Department of the Provincial Council, Rafael Pérez. The innovative stage, with more than 1,100 square metres, it will have the latest technological advances, interactive actions, audiovisual resources and didactics, sound elements, tactile and olfactory, pictograms and texts adapted to the easy-to-read system and to sign language to make content accessible to all audiences.
Carlos Mazón expressed his conviction that "this new temporary exhibition in which nine of China's most important museums and institutions are collaborating will allow the province of Alicante to continue to occupy a privileged place on the national and international museum scene".
For his part, Ambassador Wu Haitao has confirmed that the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Chinese Government will visit Alicante on 28 March, Luo Shuang. A visit that, he assured, "will kick off the Spain-China Cultural and Tourism Year 2023 with the inauguration of a unique exhibition that I hope to get to know as an ambassador and as a passionate lover of culture, appreciating it as the best diplomatic instrument to bring our peoples closer together".
Carlos Mazón and Julia Parra have thanked the continuous collaboration of the Shaanxi and Xi'an museums and the extraordinary work of the Spanish embassies in Beijing and of China in Madrid, with the mediation of both Wu Haitao and the former ambassador, Lyu Fanand the support of the staff of the cultural services. "Everyone has made this great project possible and it will be an honour to have the Chinese Minister of Culture and Tourism in Alicante," said Mazón.
Ticket sales from tomorrow
The deputy for Culture has confirmed the high level of interest generated by the upcoming exhibition of the terracotta warriors of Xi'an in Alicante, pieces that last visited Europe in 2018 to participate in an exhibition at the Liverpool World Museum. "Hundreds of people have been interested in booking tickets over the last few weeks, so from tomorrow we will open the deadline to start organising what we hope will be a massive influx of visitors because the expectation is enormous," announced Julia Parra.
The advance ticket purchase for the exhibition you can apply for from 8 March at the web and at the MARQ ticket offices individually or in a group for a price of 5 euros per person. Discounts will be applied to groups such as the over 65s, young people and students.
At the presentation of 'The Legacy of the Qin and Han Dynasties, China. The Warriors of Xi'an', held this afternoon at the China Cultural Centre, the president and vice-president of the Provincial Council were accompanied by the deputy for Architecture, José Ramón González de Záratethe mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérezthe managing director of the Fundación CV MARQ, José Alberto Cortésthe Museum's director, Manuel Olcinathe architects Ángel Rocamora and Rafael Pérezas well as the president of Asisa, Francisco Ivorraand representatives of the la Caixa" Foundation, to whom they thanked for their efforts and contribution to the international prestige achieved by the MARQ.
