The exhibition brings together over a hundred cultural relics from the Palace Museum, Tianjin Museum, Beijing Folklore Museum, and Beijing Gold Lacquer Inlay Art Museum. With wedding culture as its theme, it is divided into four sections and deeply explores the rich connotations contained in the wedding culture of "Unity", "Auspiciousness", "Happiness" and "Way" from four dimensions-wedding processes, wedding decorations, dowry and wedding customs.

The first part, "Wedding Processes: Unity of Heaven and Earth" features the "Complete Illustrations of Imperial Weddings at the Forbidden City" as the main exhibit. It digitally showcases the whole process of royal weddings, demonstrating the exchange and integration of multiple cultures. It shows the openness and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization, and the scene of national peace and prosperity.

The second part, "Wedding Decorations: Auspiciousness of Fate" displays porcelain objects, calligraphy works and paintings with auspicious patterns and decorative motifs such as dragon and phoenix, flowers in full bloom, magpies, mandarin ducks. Objects symbolizing happiness and auspiciousness are chosen for decoration during the wedding process, with patterns reflecting the ancient people's aspirations for a harmonious marriage, mutual support between couples and eternal happiness.

The third part, "Dowry: Happiness of Marriage" exhibits embroidered items and dowry textiles for ancient women. The wedding can be said to be the most important event in their lives. The dowry symbolizes the love and blessings of family members, and the bridal textiles contain the expectations of women for the future. The bridegroom means a new beginning of the brides’ life.

The fourth part, "Wedding Customs: The Way of Marriage" showcases the solemnity and sense of ceremony of a Chinese-style wedding. The way of marriage refers to the rituals of marriage. Weddings are an important cultural form for men and women to enter into marital relationships, playing an important role in the stability of marriage, the harmony of the family, the happiness of life, and the reproduction of humanity. Chinese traditional weddings have the romance of Eastern aesthetics while embodying the inheritance of ritual culture.

Exhibition Dates: January 26, 2024 - May 5, 2024

Exhibition Venue: Beijing Exhibition Center