“Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts” Exhibition on Hong Kong Streets
On July 12, 2025, the “Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts” exhibition was successfully held at the Hong Kong Central Library Exhibition Gallery. Co-organized under the guidance of the Information Office and Foreign Affairs Office of the Henan Provincial Government, the event was jointly hosted by the Chinese Literary and Art Circles Hong Kong Members Association, Henan Daily, the Henan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, and the People’s Government of Anyang City, with support from the Chinese Writing Museum, Henan Museum, and the Yinxu Museum. As a key project of the Chinese Culture Festival 2025, the exhibition, themed “A Millennium of Oracle Bones: Words as Faces,” showcased the unique charm of oracle bones, the “childhood script” of Chinese civilization. Professor Chen Nan from the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, and Deputy Director of the Chinese Ancient Writing Art Research Center, served as the curator.
Exhibition Opening Ceremony
On-Site Guided Tours
Exhibition Overview
Blending culture, art, and technology, the exhibition featured three thematic zones: Cultural Zone: Featuring the evolutionary history of Chinese characters and highlights from Henan Daily’s “Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts” column. Art Zone: Displaying Prof. Chen Nan and his team’s 26-year dedication to revitalizing ancient Chinese scripts through innovative artistic practices, creating a visual feast bridging tradition and modernity, scholarship and fascination. Tech Zone: Presenting “Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts: The Prince’s Glory,” an XR immersive film co-produced by Henan Daily and Original Force Digital Technology.
Zone 1: Origins & Witness
3D Illuminated Oracle Bone Script Display of the Chinese Zodiac
Zone 1: “From Oracle Bones to Modern Chinese Characters” Exhibit
Zone 2: Revitalization & Renewal
“Oracle Bones · World I”
“Oracle Bones · World II”
Interactive Art Installation: “Oracle Bones · Universe”
Oracle Bone Script Posters of the Zodiac
Zone 3: Time Travel & Dialogue
Large-Scale XR Immersive Oracle Bone Experience
Featured Works
Traces of Time: The Visual Artistry of Ancient Chinese Characters
Since 1999, Prof. Chen Nan has pioneered the revitalization of oracle bones and bronze inscriptions, transforming these ancient scripts from academic relics into living elements of contemporary culture. The “Revitalization & Renewal” zone showcased his systematic research through spatial installations, typography, digital prints, video art, manuscripts, and cultural products. Key works like “Oracle Bones · Marching to War,” “Oracle Bone Script Typography,” and “Oracle Bones · Universe” reinterpreted the script through digital animation, design, and cosmic themes. “Marching to War” reconstructed ancient military scenes using oracle glyphs; “Oracle Bone Script Typography” traced 25 years of design evolution; “Oracle Bones · Universe” visualized celestial movements with script forms, reflecting the ancient philosophy of “harmony between heaven and humanity.” Mirror-reflected spaces and digital imagery crafted a mystical yet modern aesthetic, becoming a visitor hotspot. This section also contributed to the national project “Ancient Scripts and the Inheritance of Chinese Civilization.”
“Oracle Bones · Marching to War”
Oracle Bone Script Typography Display
Video Art Installation: “Oracle Bones · Universe”
Matrix Installation: “Equation of Water”
Dialogue Between “Water Fortress” and “Oracle Bones · Universe”
3D Installation: “Oracle Bones · Animal World”
Sensory Artwork: “Tiger of Six Senses”
“Oracle Bones · 24 Solar Terms”
Chinese Character Graphic Works
“History of Chinese Character Design” Accordion Book
Prof. Chen’s Manuscripts and Research Archive
Postcards, Oracle Bone Templates, Compass Fridge Magnets, etc.
Oracle Bone Art Zone
Children Engrossed by Oracle Bone Knowledge
Academic Lectures
During the “Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts” exhibition, seminars, lectures, and guided tours were held for students and the public. On July 12, Prof. Chen delivered “The Butterfly Effect of Oracle Bones: From Mystical Symbols to Trendsetting Icons,” discussing Chinese script design history and sharing 25 years of artistic research. Post-lecture, he led interactive gallery tours.
Oracle Bone Academic Lecture
Prof. Chen Explaining Chinese Scripts
Lecture Scene
Interview
Guided Tours
Exhibition Behind-the-Scenes
Following its run (until July 22), the exhibition will tour 10 Hong Kong schools from September to December, using the “Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts” exhibition and oracle bones, a cultural DNA of China, to inspire youth to rediscover their linguistic roots and embrace traditional aesthetics.
