NEW YORK, NY.- China Institute, the nation’s oldest and most highly recognized educational institution devoted solely to Chinese culture, has announced a move from the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan. The new 50,000 square foot space at 100 Washington Street will house the Institute’s new 3,000 square foot gallery, library, classrooms, and offices – and is five times the size of the Institute’s current space.

Mao’s Golden Mangoes and the Cultural Revolution, which was on view at China Institute Gallery until April 26, 2015, was the last exhibition at the Upper East Side building. The exhibition revealed how the mango became a potent and unexpected propaganda symbol, providing both a political message and an object of emotional identification in the late 1960s in China.

Beginning in August, the offices will move from China Institute’s current address at 125 East 65th Street. The first exhibition at the new downtown location will open in Spring 2016.

The exhibition schedule at China Institute Gallery, 100 Washington Street, will be as follows:

Art of the Mountain: Through the Chinese Photographer’s Lens
Opening Spring 2016
Mountains, in Chinese legends, are the pillars that hold up the sky. The Chinese veneration of mountains goes back to ancient times, expressed in ritual activities, escape from society, and aesthetic appreciation of their vast beauty. Mountains can be seen as a backbone for Chinese cultural and artistic expression, supporting many forms and traditions across place and time. The exhibition will be divided into three sections: The Lofty Mountains: Famous Mountains of China will introduce the geography, history, legends, and cultures that are associated with famous Chinese mountains; Mountains and the Chinese Landscape Aesthetic will survey renowned Chinese landscape painting and how it influenced contemporary photography; and The New Landscape Photography will showcase Chinese photography and photo-based work by contemporary artists including Lei Zhenliang, Lu Hao, Sun Jinqiang, Taca, Wang Wusheng, Yan Zhangliang, and Yao Lu.

Art In a Time of Chaos: Innovative Trends in Six Dynasties China
Opening Fall 2016
The Six Dynasties period, from the 3rd to 6th centuries, was one of the most dynamic periods in Chinese art history, akin to the European Renaissance in the impact it had on artistic creativity. Over the past 20 years, archaeological excavations have unearthed extraordinary works of art, forever altering scholarly understanding of this chaotic 400-year period of political upheaval, geographical division, and civil strife. Not only was the Six Dynasties period a pivotal link in the historical timeline between the Han and Tang dynasties, but it is increasing recognized for having laid the foundation for Chinese artistic standard, genres, subjects, and important themes that continue to define Chinese art today. This exhibition will present the artistic innovations and achievements evidenced by recent archaeological findings in ceramics, sculpture, calligraphy, and painting.

Dreams of the Kings: A Jade Suit and Other Afterlife Objects from Xuzhou
Opening Spring 2017
In 201 BCE, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty knighted his younger brother as the first king of the Chu Kingdom, which was centered in Peng Cheng, today’s Xuzhou, in northern Jiangsu Province. Ruling under the emperor’s protection, and given special exemption from imperial taxes, elites in this Kingdom enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. Twelve generations of kings lived, died, and were buried in sumptuous tombs carved into the nearby rocky hills. Over the years, many tombs were looted. In 1995, several intact tombs were excavated, revealing contents that testify to the Chu kings’ affluence, as well as their beliefs in immortality and the afterlife. One of the most stunning finds was an elaborate jade sarcophagi burial suit, assembled from hundreds of pieces of jade, a precious stone adored by Chinese people since the Neolithic period as an auspicious material that could ensure immortality. This exhibition will feature the jade suit, examples of jade carvings, and other tomb contents that highlight how these powerful and wealthy kings prepared for death and envisioned their afterlife to come.