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Sarah Vega

Visitors to “Hunters, Warriors, Spirits: Nomadic Art of North China” are greeted by stunning images of a verdant plain, a snowy white forest and an arid desert. All were captured by Hong Kong-based photographer Marc Progin during visits to the Mongolian steppes.
Hing Chao, the curator of the exhibition and executive chairman of family-owned shipping group Wah Kwong Transport Holdings, says Progin’s contemporary photographs transport viewers to the region’s unique landscapes.
“This exhibition is really conceived as a journey,” he adds.
Chao, who is known for his passion for promoting traditional culture and heritage in Hong Kong and China, first thought of staging an exhibition on the culture of nomadic hunters in 2007.

The best known of the nomads who roamed what is today northern China were the Mongols. From his base on the steppes, Genghis Khan had created by 1206 the largest land empire ever built. But the exhibition introduces other indigenous groups.
Referred to in Chinese annals by the umbrella term hu, these groups include the Xiongnu, nomads who dominated the steppes of modern-day Mongolia and Manchuria from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century AD; the Xianbei and Rouran tribes; and the last surviving hunters of China’s northern forests, the Orochen.
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The exhibition features more than 250 artefacts from Chao’s own collection and from the Mengdiexuan Collection (owned by Betty Lo and Kenneth Chu), among others, to convey the sophisticated culture and heritage of tribes that were often referred to as barbarians by their contemporaries in China.
Visitors are offered magnifying glasses to better explore the intricate details of objects such as ornaments and belt buckles. The nomadic peoples were in the habit of using animal motifs, as their lives were so interconnected with nature. Wolves, yaks, horses, and even fantastical creatures such as griffins are recurring symbols.
They show the development of nomadic art from primitive to more refined forms, and the evolution of the nomads’ ways of life with the expansion of the Silk Road, the ancient trading route connecting Europe to Asia.

“When we talk about the exchange of material goods, this is only one dimension of the Silk Road,” say Chao. “The facilitation of exchange in religion, ideas, political views and philosophy is equally important.”
In one of the rooms, a dome projection of a 5th-century Buddha statue is shown along with a video of a shamanic Orochen ritual to illustrate the fact that the ancient warriors were known to practise both religions.
In another, a virtual-reality simulation presents a herd of reindeers moving around a collection of deer stones – megaliths covered in symbols found in Siberia and Mongolia. Some of the pieces on show, such as shamans’ costumes and a reindeer saddle, are also presented as 3D images that visitors can zoom into for a closer view.

The ancient nomads’ artistic heritage and spirituality have had a profound impact on those who lived in the same area after them, and their coexistence with nature is relevant in today’s world, says Chao.
“There is so much about Chinese culture today that came from the outside, and the vehicle? The nomads,” he says.
“Hunters, Warriors, Spirits: Nomadic Art of North China”, The Indra and Harry Banga Gallery, 18/F, Lau Ming Wai Academic Building, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Tue to Sun, 10am-7pm. Until Oct. 23. Free admission but online registration three days prior to visit required for non-university members.


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‘So much Chinese culture came from the outside’: nomads, the Silk Road and developments in ancient art in northern China

Marc Progin’s photographs of Mongolian landscapes provide the introduction to an exhibition in Hong Kong of the artefacts of nomads in what today is northern China. Photo: Connor Mycroft 

Visitors to the exhibition “Hunters, Warriors, Spirits: Nomadic Art of North China” are given magnifying glasses to view some of the ancient artworks on display at the City University of Hong Kong’s Indra and Harry Banga Gallery. Photo: Connor Mycroft

Professor Jeffrey Shaw explains a domed interactive projection of a 5th century Buddha in a cave in northern China, displayed alongside video of a nomads’ shamanic ritual. Nomads on the Mongolian steppe practised both religions. Photo: Connor Mycroft

A display of traditional nomadic artefacts from the exhibition. Photo: Connor Mycroft

Baroque paintings, music and animation take art lovers in Hong Kong on an immersive journey

A visitor photographs El Greco’s Boy Blowing on an Ember, showing in “The Road to the Baroque” exhibition at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo:   Nora Tam

An animated version of Luca Giordano’s painting Perseus and Medusa is shown in a semi-circular format at the Hong Kong Museum of Art’s “The Road to the Baroque” exhibition. Photo: Nora Tam

“Still Life with Festoons of Flowers and Game” (1671) by Giuseppe Recco. Photo: Nora Tam

Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith and Her Maidservant Abra with the Head of Holofernes (1645-50). Photo: Nora Tam

Art at the “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: The Road to the Baroque – Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum” exhibition. Photo: Nora Tam

Titian’s Portrait of Pope Paul III with the Camauro (1545-6). Photo: Nora Tam

A visitor captures a detail from one of the paintings in the exhibition. Photo: Nora Tam

El Greco’s Boy Blowing on an Ember (1571-2). Photo: Nora Tam

Luca Giordano’s Perseus and Medusa (circa. 1660). Photo: Nora Tam

Mongolia’s nomads: masters of their destiny in a changing world

Tents being set up by the Shivreen River, in Western Mongolia. Pictures: Tessa Chan

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows chief nomadic herdsman Myagaa performing a traditional lamb slaughter, where not one single drop of blood is spilt in Western Mongolia, July 04, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows trekkers by the a glacial lake (Rear) in the high pass between the Turgen and Kharkiraa ranges, Western Mongolia, July 03, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- -LOWER RES, USE 1/8 PAGE MAX-- A local boy stands with a horse on the grass plains, the Steppe, of Western Mongolia, July 01, 2016. From the age of four, most children are expected to proficient in horse riding. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows Myagaa (C) who is the chief herdsman, sitting with his friends by the Shivreen River, Western Mongolia, July 02, 2016. Masters of their own destinies, these nomads live the same lifestyle their ancestors did 5000 years ago, travel by camel and moving with the seasons. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows a lamb, looking out from a family Ger, in Western Mongolia, July 02, 2016. For the nomads, their wealth is measured by their horses and livestock. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows tour leader, award winning adventurer, filmmaker and author, Australian Tim Cope, in Western Mongolia, July 04, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows camels waiting to be loaded up with trekking gear, as support for the tour group in Western Mongolia, July 01, 2016. During a migration, camels can carry loads of up to 300kg. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows young nomads Otga and Nana singing to the trekking group, sitting by the fire one night, Western Mongolia, July 10, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows a travelling nomad stopping by the camp's bonfire with his son one night, for food and drink in Western Mongolia, July 10, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows av iew from the tent, as horses graze by the frozen Shivreen River, Western Mongolia, July 02, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

Images hang on the rear wall, showing various images of the family and friends of the owner of the Ger, in Mongolia, on July 02, 2016. All Gers have the same internal layout, and on the rear wall you will always find one of these 'photographic shrines'. Image was taken on a tour called Nomads and Naadam: a trek through remote Western Mongolia with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE]

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows a Khoton nomad riding home on his camel, Western Mongolia, July 06, 2016. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows (L-R) Otga, Nana and Choinum. young nomads, sitting by the Shivreen River, Western Mongolia, July 02, 2016. The younger generation of nomads is at a crossroads, and for the first time have the choice to continue their traditional life or move to the city. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

--DO NOT USE BEFORE THIS PACKAGE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE POST MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 04, 2016-- This image shows trekkers crossing a 3700 meter ice clad ridge on Kharkhiraa, Western Mongolia, July 04, 2016. This is the most physically demanding day of the trek. This image was taken during the Nomads and Naadam trek, with Tim Cope, author of On The Trail of Genghis Khan. [04SEPTEMBER2016 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] SCMP / Tessa CHAN

Haunted by Mongolia, land of earth and sky, Buddhists and shamans, stillness and modernity

Pico Iyer is blown away by the wind and the wilds of Mongolia – and by the photography of Frenchman Frédéric Lagrange that gets to the heart of a nation in many ways unchanged since Genghis Khan

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia. Portrait of a wrestler against black fabric. Horshoolol Sports Club, Ulaanbaatar (Хоршоолол Спорт Клуб, Улаанбаатар), 2006. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia. When Khövsgöl Lake is frozen, people drive across it to save time. We followed this truck in late February when the ice is usually solid. However, a warmer wind had come through and made the ice weaker. The ice suddenly collapsed and the truck began to sink. The three passengers jumped out and ran for their lives. We stopped and approached by foot and remained at a safe distance from the broken ice. Khövsgöl Lake, Khövsgöl Aimag (Хөвсгөл Нуур, Хөвсгөл Аймаг), 2006. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia. A view of Western Mongolia through the propeller of a Fokker airplane, 2006 [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia.  The sun sets over the village of Bayandalai, Ömnögovi Aimag (Баяндалай Сум, Өмнөговь Аймаг), 2015. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

A camp close to Üüreg Lake, in Mongolia. Picture: Frédéric Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia. As my local team and I were driving on a frozen lake, we saw two men lying on the ice about 20 kilometers from the nearest shore. Intrigued, we approached. It was early morning and both men were already drunk on cheap vodka. They did not say a word to us. I have no idea what they were waiting for. Khövsgöl Lake, Khövsgöl Aimag (Хөвсгөл Нуур, Хөвсгөл Аймаг), 2006. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia. Cleaned: Workers load flour bags from the wheat fields of Dornod Aimag as their boss looks on. Choibalsan, Dornod Aimag (Чойбалсан, Дорнод Аймаг), Eastern Mongolia, 2005. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Image taken by Frederic Lagrange in Mongolia. During the Stalinist repressions in the 1930s, the Mongolian government destroyed monasteries and executed monks. The Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar was one of the few structures that survived. It reopened before the end of World War II. Since Mongolia regained its independence in 1990, the Buddhist faith has made a comeback. Ulaanbaatar (Гандантэгчинлэн Хийд, Улаанбаатар), 2006. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

--STRICTLY ONE TME USE ONLY-- --FOR POST MAGAZINE ONLY-- Mongolia. Young herder boys pose in front of a white paper backdrop. South of Khövsgöl Lake, Hatgal village, Khövsgöl Aimag (Хатгал Сум, Хөвсгөл Аймаг), 2006. [30SEPTEMBER2018 FEATURES POST MAGAZINE] MANDATORY CREDIT: Frederic Lagrange

A family evacuates their home in Tsengel village, Bayan-Ölgii province, after a snowstorm in 2004. Pictures: Frédéric Lagrange

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KXAJNW Kids aged 6-12, compete for 20 kilometers bareback horse race at Annual Naadam Festival in Bunkhan, Mongolia [15JULY2018 GBU POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / ALAMY

A young nomad in western Mongolia. Picture: Tessa Chan

CY1HGY Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia.. Image shot 2009. Exact date unknown. [15JULY2018 GBU POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / ALAMY

D9XN0H Naadam Festival at the National Stadium in Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia, Asia [15JULY2018 GBU POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / ALAMY

F03P1T Mongolia. Gobi Desert. Bayanzag Valley. Fossilized dinosaur skull [15JULY2018 GBU POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / ALAMY

Archery during the Naadam Festival in the town of Bulgan. Picture: Alamy

Lifestyle

Arts


Images of Mongolian steppes, forest and desert transport visitors to a Hong Kong exhibition to the region for an exploration of the art of ancient nomads
Artefacts on display show the gradual refinement of nomadic art through cultural influences that flowed along the Silk Road from Europe



‘So much about Chinese culture came from the outside, and the vehicle? The nomads,’ says Hing Chao, curator of an exhibition in Hong Kong of nomadic art from northern China.


Mongolia

Chinese culture