Ceramics on show at the exhibition [Photo provided to chiandaily.com.cn]

A special ceramics exhibition featuring the ninth century ceramics trade in Guangzhou kicked off on Tuesday, providing an opportunity for visitors to further explore the historical and cultural connotations of the ancient Chinese Maritime Silk Road.

The exhibition, which will run until May 5, consists of four parts with more than 200 sets of ancient ceramics and related historical relics that illustrate the history and development of China's ceramic trade in detail.

The exhibition, which is being held at the Archaeological Site Museum of Nanyue Palace, was jointly organized by the Archaeological Site Museum of Nanyue Palace; the Museum of Tongguan Kiln Porcelains in Changsha, Hunan province; the Guangzhou Municipal Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology; and the Guangzhou Hao Pu Art Museum.

Ceramics on show at the exhibition [Photo provided to chiandaily.com.cn]

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Guangzhou was a commercial center and one of the important starting points of the Maritime Silk Road. It was the largest foreign trade port in the East, attracting many overseas merchant vessels and business representatives from around the world.

Many foreign businesses brought their spices to Guangzhou and sold them to Chinese buyers, while purchasing ceramics and silk to take back home.

The ocean route from Guangzhou to the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa was the longest ocean route in the world at that time.

Trade and cultural exchanges between Guangzhou and other countries and regions have been uninterrupted for more than 2,200 years.

Ceramics on show at the exhibition [Photo provided to chiandaily.com.cn]

Ceramics on show at the exhibition [Photo provided to chiandaily.com.cn]

Ceramics on show at the exhibition [Photo provided to chiandaily.com.cn]