An exhibition featuring stone carvings from the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD24) opened at Shandong Museum on Jan 23.

The show centers on one particular carving depicting the legendary encounter between Confucius and Laozi, two renowned philosophers in ancient China – a motif widely seen in stone carvings from this period. 

According to statistics, more than 90 such artifacts have been discovered in China, with over 60 found in Shandong province, which holds the country's richest collection of these relics.

The exhibition is organized into three sections, namely History and Myth, Discovery and Research, and Interpretation and Inheritance. It examines the historical, artistic, and philosophical significance of the carving.

Visitors can learn how the stone carvings reflect the interaction between Confucianism and Daoist-influenced thought in the Han Dynasty, as well as the social beliefs and artistic traditions of the period.

A Han Dynasty stone carving depicting the legendary encounter between Confucius and Laozi, two renowned philosophers in ancient China, is on display at Shandong Museum. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]