Major exhibition China: Journey to the East opening at Manchester Museum

3,000 years of Chinese history and culture are explored in this major touring exhibition China: Journey to the East from the British Museum. Exploring themes of play, technology, belief and festivals, food and drink, and language and writing, it will open at The Manchester Museum on 25 September 2010. China has been a major influence on many parts of the world through trade and the movement of peoples. Chinese Diaspora communities form a vital part of the history of many other countries, including Britain. Manchester has its own thriving Chinese community and the city is home to the first true Imperial Chinese arch erected in Europe. From the world's earliest porcelain to shadow puppets and wei qi (Chinese Chess). From picnics and coca cola to afterlife jam tarts and a pillow wishing everlasting peace, China: Journey to the East combines fantastic objects from the British Museum with stories from one of the world's fastest growing economies.