Cosmopolitan Metropolis Along the Silk Road

- Luoyang During Tang Dynasty, China.

The exhibition was on display from September 12, 2015, to February 28, 2016.

Luoyang was during the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan cities. During the founding of the small town of Birka in Viking Sweden, and when Norsemen carried out trade and plundering, China experienced a period of economic stability and cultural development.

The Tang dynasty was a period in China's history when poetry, science and commerce flourished. The era was also characterized by court intrigue, rebellion and war. It was also the time when China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian, came to power.

In the exhibition in the Caverns, it was possible to travel back to the Tang Dynasty cultural capital of Luoyang. The visitors entered the city gates through the Silk Road to explore the city and meet the people who lived and worked there. The exhibition included spectacular objects that came to us directly from famous historical figures, such as Wu Zetian and the famous poet Bai Juyi. Long before Marco Polo's travels came travelers from far and wide to China – a country where foreign goods and ideas were welcomed, where women had greater opportunities to move freely, become educated and even take power.

A dramatised story also made the exhibition into an exciting adventure for families. A thief had stolen the female emperor Wu Zetian's golden bowl. In order to solve the mystery, the visitor could go on an adventure through the city and the Cavern's tunnels.

Cosmopolitan Metropolis Along the Silk Road is produced in collaboration with the Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage. Through a five-year cooperative agreement with the Administration, The Museums of World Cultures has the unique opportunity to show new archaeological finds and spectacular objects from the Tang Dynasty.