The special exhibition "Ronggu ShuoXin: Retro and Innovative Bronze Artifacts of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties" jointly organized by Shanghai Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA, officially opened on the 11th at the East Hall of Shanghai Museum. As ritual vessels in major ceremonies, ancient Chinese bronze ware carries the dual core of science, technology, and spiritual beliefs. During the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the function of Chinese bronze ware gradually shifted from ceremonial to practical, with a diverse range of styles and shapes. This exhibition is divided into four units: "revering the ancient and reshaping the three generations", "forging the ancient and innovating, creating a unique style", "promoting exemplary behavior, shaking the ancient and shining the present", and "cultivating daily life and bringing new ideas to ancient bronze". A total of more than 170 pieces (groups) of exhibits are exhibited, gathering collections from the Shanghai Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as important collections from multiple museums in Asia, Europe, and the United States. It is the largest exhibition of Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing bronze ware at home and abroad in recent years. The reporter saw multiple bronze Dasheng bells from the fourth year of Chongning in the Northern Song Dynasty from Shanghai Museum and Liaoning Provincial Museum in the exhibition hall. It is reported that the Dasheng Bell was a ritual and music standard vessel minted by imperial decree during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Song to create new music. Its style was modeled after the Song Gongcheng Bell of the Spring and Autumn Period, and there are currently more than 20 pieces circulating in the world. The Kunshan County School Bronze Jars from the 20th year of Ming Chenghua in the British Museum and the Kunshan County School Bronze Jars from the 20th year of Ming Chenghua in the Shanghai Museum are exhibited adjacent to each other, both belonging to the same batch of ritual vessels. What is particularly special is that the prototype of the former, "Shubang Fugui," was lost in the "Xuanhe Bogu Tu." In the Ming Dynasty, craftsmen incorporated innovation into the restoration and "added" it, and the mountain shaped cover secretly conforms to the imagery of mountain worship in the "Zhou Li". Antique bronze ware, reinterpreted by literati and scholars, transformed into elegant decorations for study rooms, becoming a trend of the times. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a collection of exquisitely crafted copper smoking furnaces in the shape of geese from the Ming Dynasty. Cigarettes can be slowly exhaled from the mouth and beak, and the design not only echoes the prototype of the Han Dynasty, but also revives the antique tradition of the 13th and 14th centuries, highlighting the new aesthetic trend of the early Ming Dynasty. Max Hollein, the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, stated that in recent years, with the successive announcement of archaeological discoveries, many dating artifacts have been discovered in global collections, and the academic community's understanding of antique bronze artifacts has become increasingly mature. I hope this exhibition can showcase the innovative beauty of bronze ware from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, explore their unique artistic and cultural value, and inspire future generations. (New Society)