It is a vital stop along the ancient Silk Road and the world’s largest landlocked country—Kazakhstan.
This summer, Shanghai History Museum partnered with the Almaty Museum Association to bring the Kazakh steppe to the third floor of the Museum’s West Building, thanks to the sister-city relationship established between Almaty and Shanghai during the Second China–Central Asia Summit in 2025.
On June 26, 2026, Ancestral Heritage: Continuity of Tradition—Exhibition of Kazakh Folk Culture officially opened, presenting more than 100 artefacts that offer visitors an immersive journey into Kazakhstan’s long history and vibrant folk traditions.
(from right to left)
Chen Kele, Director of the International Cooperation Division, Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
Luo Guangming, Consul General of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Shanghai
Bazarbek Atygayev, Advisor to the Mayor of Almaty
Jin Lei, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
Zhou Qunhua, Director of Shanghai History Museum
Lyazzat Sagindikova, Director of the Almaty Museum Association
Step into the gallery, visitors will start the journey into the history of Almaty, the artistry of Kazakh jewelry as well as ethnic musical instruments. They will also discover the wisdom of living in harmony with nature, exemplified by the unique culture of the Kazakh eagle falconers, known as berkutchi.
Each artefact reflects the nomadic enduring wisdom, exquisite craftsmanship, and spiritual heritage preserved and passed down across generations. Together, they compose a magnificent cultural symphony of the steppe while witnessing the expanding cultural exchange between Shanghai and Almaty.
International Communication is one of Shanghai History Museum’s annual key-words. From “Similarity and Difference” to “Ancestral Heritage: Continuity of Tradition”, from Seoul to Almaty, each international exchange exhibition opens a window—allowing Shanghai to see the world, while offering the world a chance to tell its own stories.
Ancestral Heritage: Continuity of Tradition—Exhibition of Kazakh Folk Culture
June 26 – August 30, 2026
3/F, West Building, Shanghai History Museum
Free admission. No reservation required.
