Han Yangling-Pisa

    The Han-Pisa project, gathering European partners and a cultural institution from the People’s Republic of China, aims at launching an innovative international cooperation. The partners of the Han-Pisa project have conceived a partnership which benefits both to the European and to the Chinese professionals dealing with cultural heritage. The results of this experience develop into a better understanding of each other’s cultural heritage. They also benefit to the public, and - more generally - to the intercultural dialogue between Europe and China. Indeed, when China has an inestimable cultural history, it is, at some point, hindered by a “renew and patch up” tradition in terms of preservation. This is in stark contrast with the western tradition of conservation and safeguarding. On the other hand, with the new wing of the Han Yang Ling museum, Chinese professionals have adopted a very innovative approach in museography, rarely seen in Europe. The project, thus, involves two aspects: a better preservation of the archaeological heritage, and a better presentation of this heritage to the public. These two dimensions constitute the basis for developing, partly in China and partly in Europe, joint activities of research, exchange of best practices, training and dissemination in the fields of archaeology, conservation and interpretation. The ambition of the Han-Pisa Project is to fully exploit and disseminate the richness of the approaches to cultural heritage of both China and Europe.

    The project was born on the premises of two major archaeological events that were discovered during public infrastructure works. On one hand, in San Rossore, next to Pisa, about 30 ancient ships (from the classical to the medieval period) were identified during building a new railway station. These ships have been partially excavated but are still awaiting an appropriate museographical venue. On the other hand, the construction of a highway from Xi’an city to the international airport lead to the discovery of the terracotta images belonging to the burial site of Han emperor Jing Di (dating back to 1st century BCE). Both sites generated a wealth of precious objects that created a challenge for the data management. They both also face a complex problem of conservation such as wood and polychrome objects. Lastly they both have to think about the need for interpreting and presenting the site in the best possible way. Part of this task is the establishment of a museum environment that allows the visitor to understand the meaning and significance of the site. The Han Yang Ling Museum sets a standard by its underground presentation of the terracotta images. This is an opportunity for Pisa to think about its own museum to be developed in the near future.