Chinese and Islamic civilizations have engaged in continuous exchanges and interaction for a considerable amount of human history. To celebrate this, the unique exhibition titled “Arabian Wonder Carpet-Interweaving of Islam and World Civilization” will be held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum from June 18 to October 6, 2025. Both the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the Islamic Art Museum in Doha, Qatar, will serve as joint sponsors of the exhibition.
This exhibition will bring together about one hundred priceless cultural treasures, including various categories such as porcelain, metal handicrafts, and carpets. It will be organized into four sections that will provide a complete display of the creative accomplishments of Safavid Iran, Mughal India, and Ottoman Turkey. Additionally, the exhibition will provide a systematic account of the cross-cultural exchange that has occurred between the Islamic world and China from the 10th century.
From the seventh century onwards, there has been a continuous flow of communication between the Islamic culture and the Chinese civilization. During the Tang Dynasty, Muslim ancestors first set foot in eastern China via the Silk Road. At the same time, Arab trader Suleiman arrived in Guangzhou by sea, which became a vivid sign of early civilization interaction.
Muhammad brought Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. When the Qingjing Temple in Quanzhou was finally finished, which was constructed in the second year of Dazhong Xiangfu during the Northern Song Dynasty (1009), the connection deepened. This temple, which was erected under the patronage of Arab Muslims, became a tangible monument to the mutual learning of early civilizations via the integration of pointed arch domes in the style of Arab architecture and conventional brick and wood constructions in China. It is the earliest Islamic temple in China.
Read More:Civilizational Dialogues and fostering China-Pakistan relations through BRI
At the same time, China’s innovations, including silk, porcelain, papermaking, printing, compass, gunpowder, and other things, were regularly brought into the Islamic world via the Silk Road. This had a tremendous impact on the social life and production method of the local community. During the Yuan Dynasty, which lasted from the 13th century to the 14th century, the development of the Mongolian Empire opened up a new dimension for the interaction between the two cultures. As a result of the massive movement of people from Central Asia and West Asia, a significant number of Muslims with a variety of identities migrated to China.
The overall Muslim population in China is said to had reached a sizeable extent in the 14th century, according to reports. Despite the fact that the Yuan Dynasty did not convert to Islam on a state level, its policy of openness to religions in West Asia created a fertile ground for the spread of Islamic culture. Ibn Battuta, an Arab scholar who lived in the 14th century, made a trip to China that is considered to be a landmark. During this trip, he documented in great detail the bustling scenes of Chinese cities as well as the advanced technology. His travel notes became an important window for the Islamic world to gain an understanding of the oriental civilization and further promoted the in-depth development of cultural exchanges between the two sides.
Zheng He lived in 15th century, during the Ming Dynasty, from Yongle to Xuande. He was in charge of a massive fleet that traveled to the Western Ocean seven times, encompassing Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Arabian Peninsula. This journey represented the zenith of maritime connection between the two civilizations. The Chinese porcelain, silk, and other items that are transported by the fleet were not only much sought after in the Arab market, but they also encouraged Islamic artists to incorporate Chinese lotus blooms, tangled branches, and other aspects into the ornamentation of metal utensils and ceramics.
Throughout the same time period, Arabian frankincense and glass items were brought into China by merchant ships. These imports had an impact on the workmanship style of court commodities throughout the Ming Dynasty. Given that Zheng He was a Muslim, his accomplishment in sailing carries with it the importance of religious discourse and cultural interchange.
Read More: Over 90,000 Neolithic Artifacts Unearthed in China
A vivid trace has been left on cultural relics as a result of the mixing of history, and the exhibits that are being shown in this exhibition titled “Arabian Wonder Carpet” are a vivid three-dimensional representation of the millennium-long blending of the two civilizations. A Safavid carpet that is 450 years old tells a story about a cultural conversation that spans many regions and uses a distinctive design language. The moire patterns and god beast patterns that are seen in Chinese art are beautifully interwoven with Islamic traditional ornamental patterns in the carpet heart. This not only demonstrates the specific mission that was given as a diplomatic gift, but it also showcases the artistic blending of diverse civilizations.
During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, the Xinjiang petal-patterned velvet carpet and the Safavid silk brocade fabric were both presented at the same location. Despite the fact that they were made in different places and separated by hundreds of years, they displayed remarkable creative resonance in design style. Additionally, they jointly indicated the profound compatibility that exists between the two civilizations in terms of artistic aesthetics.
The 4th Forum on Islam and Maritime Silk Road, which took place in Jinjiang, Quanzhou, from the May 30th to 31, 2024, began with these historical accumulations and opened in-depth thought on the mutual learning of civilizations in the new age. There was a discussion among representatives from all walks of life on topics such as the modern significance of “Confucian-Islamic convergence” and Islam in China.
The president of the China Association of Iraq, Yang Faming, made the observation that the Maritime Silk Road was a witness to the coexistence of two major civilizations. With the advent of the new era, it is essential to construct three communities of academic culture, the Chinese nation, and the destiny of mankind by “integrating Confucianism with Iran”.
Read More: China’s Whole-Process People’s Democracy in World Civilizations
With the commencement of the Sino-Egyptian Sakala Archaeological Project in 2024, China’s archaeological “going global” has entered a new phase. The Chinese team digitally examined more than 400 mummy coffins that were discovered in the Bastert Temple in the northern part of Sakala, Egypt. They discovered that the geometric patterns of Persian miniatures and the cloud patterns of China Han Dynasty lacquerware were integrated in the painted patterns. This was accomplished through the use of technologies such as 3D laser scanning, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and other technologies.
A huge number of blue-and-white porcelain shards dating back to the Tang and Song Dynasties in China were discovered by a collaborative archaeological team from China and Turkey near the Ben Arrus Forest Site in Tunisia. These fragments were discovered at the same time. The results of the scientific and technical studies demonstrated that the origin of the cobalt was connected to the Persian area. This discovery provided more evidence that the ancient Maritime Silk Road was a network of trade routes.
The academic gap has been closed, multilingual field excavation standards have been developed, and worldwide mutual learning of archaeological methods has been encouraged as a result of this form of collaboration.
Currently, as a result of the intensification of globalization, the flow of information and the reciprocal learning that occurs between different civilizations has become an unstoppable trend of the times. The Chinese civilization and the Islamic civilization, which together constitute an essential pillar of human civilization, are responsible for the sustenance of one third of the world’s people. They are connected to the growth possibilities of the two civilizations, and it has far-reaching relevance for the variety of human civilization. The interchange and reciprocal learning that takes place between them is tied to all of these things.
Pakistan, the only Islamic nation that has established an all-weather strategic partnership with China, has become a natural civilization exchange window for dialogue between Chinese civilization and Islamic civilization. This is due to Pakistan’s unique geographical advantages, which have made it the only Islamic nation to do so. Pakistan, which is a traditional friendly neighbor that has established diplomatic relations with China since 1951, has a population that is 97% Muslim, and has a pivotal position connecting Central Asia, West Asia, and South Asia.
As a result, Pakistan naturally possesses the cultural genes and geographical conditions necessary to connect the two major civilization systems. From a historical point of view, the Indus Valley, which is geographically situated in Pakistan, has been intimately intertwined with Chinese culture for a very long time. In the past, the Gandhara civilization served as a significant center for the dissemination of Buddhist art to the eastern regions. However, in recent times, it has evolved into a typical region where Islamic civilization and the local culture of South Asia mingle together. This quality of being the crossroads of civilization allows Pakistan to not only have a profound comprehension of the spiritual core of Islamic civilization, but also to have an accurate comprehension of the values of Chinese culture by means of the historical background of the Silk Road, both on land and at sea.
A vivid example of the mutual learning of civilizations may be seen in Pakistani culture, which is characterized by the fact that Urdu has the features of the Arabic alphabet script, Persian language, and Hindi vocabulary. Arabic majors and Islamic culture research institutes at Chinese universities have established a two-way cultural contact network with Confucius Institutes in the Middle East and Pakistan. As a result, tens of thousands of foreign students are able to become messengers of civilized discussion on an annual basis.
As a result of the profound accumulation of Islamic civilization and the geographical advantages connecting Central Asia, West Asia, and South Asia, Pakistan has become a “natural civilization dialogue hub” for the exchange of Chinese civilization and Islamic civilization. This is due to the fact that Pakistan is at the forefront of the era of coexistence and common prosperity of human civilization. Not only does its worth manifest itself in the mixing of architectural aesthetics, language, and literature, but it also manifests itself in the resonance of culture and growth in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Read More: China’s Tourism Boom Gains Global Attention
In order for various civilizations to shine with respect and promote vitality through mutual reflection, experience has shown that the “fence” of barriers must be dismantled, replaced by the “window” of openness in order for mutual learning of civilizations to take place.
At a time when global challenges are intertwined, Pakistan, as a “window of civilization”, needs to take culture as a bridge and rely on its all-weather friendship with China to outline the splendid picture of human civilizations’ cooperation and symbiosis in mutual learning, and interpret the wisdom of civilized dialogue that “different stars illuminate the same night sky”. The brilliance of civilization is more and more brilliant in blending. The cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan today continue the enduring dialogue between two great civilizations—linking the past to the future. This dialogue is being woven with the splendor of the Arabian wonder carpet and the grandeur of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Xinyu Liu
Xinyu Liu is a scholar at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China.
Ying Zhang
Ying Jhang is a scholar at the Southwest University of Political Science and Law, China.
