A Mexican ancient religious culture exhibition is due to open on Saturday at the Capital Museum in Beijing.

 

The Jaguar Worship Exhibition of Mexican Ancient Civilization, jointly hosted by China's Capital Museum and Mexican National Human History Institute, will run from July 15 to October 14.

 

On show at the three-month event will be 98 groups of cultural relics and some modern artwork to help enhance cultural exchanges between China and Mexico.

 

The exhibition will show the ancient Indian people's worship to jaguar, which was a popular ancient religion before Spanish colonial control over Mexico as of 1521. It is believed that the religion bring widespread influence on the art, custom and ethical concepts of ancient Indian nation.

 

The exhibition consists of four parts, namely the origin of jaguar worship, connotation of the worship to jaguar ancestor, jaguar religion and sacrificial rites.

 

Jaguars inhabit in American continent from southwestern part of the United States to Argentine. In the minds of ancient Indian people, jaguar was ferocious and agile, cool and gallant. It was respected by the Indians as deity for ancestor and protector.

 

Cultural relics on display include pottery, stone carving, mural painting and jade carving. Mexico has also offered 20 modern pieces of exquisite dresses and masks used for jaguar-worship rituals, in order to make the exhibition full of strong ancient Indian atmosphere.

 

Guo Xiaoling, curator of the Capital Museum, said cultural exchange between China and Mexico has been active, and the exhibition was the fruit of friendship between the two nations.

 

Jose Enrique Ortiz Lanz, principal of the Mexican National Museum and Exhibition Administrative Agency, said the show is aimed at promoting communications of all nations and races with different cultures in pursuit of the harmonious coexistence of man and the nature.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2006)