Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Reopens on a Trial Basis on Chinese New Year’s Day, with “Galloping Wonders: Year of the Horse Science & Culture Exhibition” Officially Launched!

On February 10, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, in collaboration with the Palace Museum, officially previewed the “Galloping Wonders: Year of the Horse Science & Culture Exhibition.” The event kicks off with a series of engaging activities, such as a music concert in the IMAX Dome Theater and a virtual exhibition tour, using the power of music and art to reimagine the cultural symbolism of the horse. The exhibition is also presented through live streaming, offering audiences a comprehensive, multi-dimensional experience of the deep integration between science and culture. From the first to the seventh day of the Chinese New Year (February 17-23), the museum will remain open as usual, inviting visitors to celebrate the Spring Festival with a rich lineup of exhibitions and science education programs.

As a major event of the Year of the Horse festivities, “Galloping Wonders: Year of the Horse Science & Culture Exhibition” centers on the “horse” as its narrative focus, unfolding across three thematic chapters of “Natural Evolution,” “Human-Horse Companionship,” and “Inspiration for the Future” as a main logical line. The exhibition innovatively blends cultural relics, biological specimens, and cutting-edge digital interactivity to present the horse’s multifaceted journey—from prehistoric times to the modern era, and from the natural world into human civilization. The exhibition will officially open to the public on February 17 (the first day of the Chinese New Year) on B1 Level of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum.

At the opening ceremony, representatives from both co-organizers, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Palace Museum, explained that the “horse” was chosen as the exhibition’s theme to provide a unique lens for the perfect amalgam of science and culture. By weaving together ancient relics and contemporary technologies within a shared narrative space, the exhibition bridges 56 million years of equid evolution with 6,000 years of Chinese civilizational progress, celebrating both natural history and human aspiration.

One of the opening events, the themed concert “Galloping Wonders: The Poetic Journey of the Horse,” took place in the newly renovated dome theater. Visual projections on the immersive dome merged seamlessly with live performances, including erhu and violin renditions, Peking opera, tenor solos, and male choral pieces. This array of artistic expressions collectively reimagined the horse’s distinctive presence across science, culture, and the arts. The concert brought together acclaimed artists from institutions including the Shanghai Film Academy, Shanghai Opera House, Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company, Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, and China National Opera House.

Following the concert, Ni Minjing, director of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, hosted a livestreamed virtual exhibition tour, unveiling the exhibition’s highlights and guiding online audiences through a comprehensive “cloud visit” of the entire showcase. This enabled those unable to attend in person to experience the exhibition’s charm in real time. Additionally, Piao Piao, a pony from Shanghai Wild Animal Park, made a delightful appearance at the event, trotting briskly with its light golden mane flowing, as it extended warm invitations and New Year greetings to guests from all walks of life.

The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections: “The First Appearance,” “The Living Wilderness,” “Steeds Through the Ages,” and “Of the Galloping Steeds.” Over twenty exquisite horse-themed artifacts selected from the Palace Museum are showcased together in Shanghai for the first time, offering insights into the role of horses across ritual, military, artistic, and everyday life contexts. Treasures include a Painted Pottery Horse-Head from the Han dynasty, Sancai Horses and a Sancai Figurine of a Hu Hunter on Horseback from the Tang dynasty, and a Bronze “Imperial Edict” Tally and a Silver Tiger Seal: Commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner Guards Division from the Qing dynasty. Digital displays such as The Qianlong Emperor in Armor on Horseback and Imperial Steed Wan-Ji-Shuang Scroll by Giuseppe Castiglione further enrich the visitor experience. Through dynamic digital storytelling, these exhibits vividly illustrate the diverse significance of the horse throughout Chinese history. Moreover, the exhibition integrates cutting-edge technologies like autostereoscopic 3D and artificial intelligence, featuring multiple immersive interactive installations that invite visitors to see, feel, and play, and thus deepens their understanding of the horse’s cultural legacy and scientific relevance in an engaging and accessible way.

During the Spring Festival holiday, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum is presenting a vibrant lineup of special activities. The museum’s signature program, “Science LIVE Show,” returns with brand-new episodes, taking the stage on the small performance area on the first floor. Through interactive demonstrations centered around scientific apparatus and hands-on experiments, the show unpacks the principles behind fascinating phenomena in an engaging and entertaining way. Adjacent to the stage, the “Non-Stop Gallop” Science Challenge Arena invites visitors to step onto a lively intellectual battleground. Through science quizzes, hands-on challenges, and science-themed imitation performances, participants can test their knowledge, discover the joy of inquiry, and experience the wonder of science firsthand. In the “City of Infinity” zone within the “AI Pioneers” display area, audiences will be treated to a visual spectacle of robotics and AI innovation. Achievements from frontier technologies, including exoskeleton suits, robotic pets, robotic mice, swarm robots, and climbing robots, will take turns demonstrating their capabilities. Live demos paired with expert explanations offer a compelling glimpse into the future of technology. Meanwhile, a new “Science Pop-Up” series debuts in the queuing areas to deliver short, dynamic, and high-impact educational activities such as mini-lectures, science trivia Q&A, and playful interactions with costumed characters, transforming waiting time into moments of light-hearted learning and fun.