Harare – October 15, 2026 -- Visitors in Zimbabwe's capital can now see evidence of some of the world's earliest rice cultivation, along with hands-on tea, pottery and puzzle activities, at an exhibition on China's Shangshan culture that opened on October 12.
Titled "DAWN-LIT RICE SOURCE GLOWING MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS," the show is part of Jinhua's 2026 "Into Africa" cultural tourism initiative. It uses rice and pottery as central themes to foster cultural dialogue between China and Africa. The Jinhua Municipal People's Government hosts the event, and the Jinhua Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism organized it.
Zimbabwe's Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Tsitsi Gezi, and Tang Xiaoping, Minister-Counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, attended the opening ceremony.
Shangshan site anchors 10,000 years of Chinese history
Shangshan culture is tied to a Neolithic archaeological site in eastern China's Zhejiang province, which provides key evidence of China's 10,000-year cultural history. It is also associated with early painted pottery and the emergence of settled village life in East Asia.
Three sections trace how early communities farmed, crafted and built
"The First Grain of Rice" presents carbonized rice grains and pottery fragments mixed with rice husks. Together they show rice cultivation at Shangshan dating back approximately 10,000 years.
"The First Stroke of Red" displays red-painted pottery with sun patterns and geometric symbols, offering a glimpse of how these ancient people observed the sky and tracked the seasons.
"The First Village" reconstructs a moat-enclosed settlement with stilt-style houses, showing early settled village life in China.
Visitors can taste tea and solve Luban lock puzzles
Hands-on activities include Juyan tea tasting, pottery-fragment puzzles and traditional Luban lock puzzles. Visitors can also see examples of Jinhua's intangible cultural heritage: Wuzhou kiln porcelain, Dongyang wood carvings and Wu opera costumes.
The organizers say the exhibition aims to encourage cultural exchange and mutual understanding by bringing China's rice-farming heritage into dialogue with the cultures of southern Africa.