Culture in the saddle

A wider exchange

Feng Nai'en, director of the Prince Kung's Palace Museum, says the two institutions hope to expand their cooperation into exhibitions, academic research and cultural products.

As the exhibition's curator, Sun sees particular potential in comparing traditional horsemanship in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region with French dressage.

"China has its own Mongolian horse spirit — loyalty, courage and a sense of responsibility," Sun says. "France has its own chivalric spirit and its own relationship with horses, from domestication and riding to dressage."

For Sun, that difference is something worth putting on display.

"If one day we could bring different forms of equestrian practice together in the same cultural space, the comparison and interaction could create a very different visual and cultural impact," he says.

Sun believes the next stage of international cultural exchange should involve more than transporting historical objects from one museum to another.

"Professionals know why an artifact is precious, why it is scientifically important and why it is difficult," Sun says. "But for the majority of people, I think being able to see and experience something can give them a stronger sense of connection."