“COINect: Chinese Culture and Creativity,” a temporary exhibition of coins and medals from China, opened at London’s Royal Mint Court on June 8 as part of the second season of Shanghai’s cultural exchange program, Our Water.
Our Water: Flowing From Shanghai — Global City Dialogues on Humanities uses rivers as the medium to strengthen links between China’s eastern metropolis and other major cities worldwide. London, this year’s partner city, follows on from Paris in 2024.
Just as dynamic interactions among rivers, cities, and people have nurtured culture, Our Water seeks to foster mutual learning and development through open, inclusive, and flowing dialogues. Activities will focus on two significant waterways — Shanghai’s Suzhou Creek and the River Thames in London — exploring issues such as urban governance, economic innovation, industrial advancement, and cultural creativity.
“COINect,” which runs through June 14, displays 105 coins and medals housed at the Shanghai Mint Museum. Produced after 1949, they showcase various elements of Chinese culture, heritage, and history, spanning ancient to modern times.
Among the exhibits is a series of intricate commemorative medals created between 1998 and 2010 that depict the 12 zodiac animals, as well as artistically crafted coins that carry images of Chinese landmarks such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terra-cotta Army, and the classical gardens of Suzhou, and native species including the giant panda, South China tiger, baiji dolphin, and Yangtze alligator.
