When speaking about the Hongshan culture, which dates between 6,500 and 5,000 years, what most often comes to mind is the beauty of jade objects buried in the tombs of this Neolithic civilization.

The pieces help people today understand the social ranks, ceremonies and customs of the Hongshan culture, of which several sites have been found and are being excavated continuously in a area stretching from the Inner Mongolian autonomous region to Liaoning province in northern China.

Jade from Hongshan, an archaeology exhibition running now at the National Museum of China through Jan 17, shows more than 160 artifacts including jade and pottery objects, revealing early stirrings of Chinese civilization thousands of years ago.