Finding common ground in Hongshan civilization

Young scholars from across the globe find resonance in ancient Chinese relics — and in one another — through a shared journey into Hongshan's legacy.

"The Chinese people from 5,000 years ago had such similar aesthetics to our ancestors," said Anda Risa, a Japanese student at Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, as she stood before the C-shaped jade dragon on display at the Hongshan Culture Museum of Chaoyang Normal University in Chaoyang, Liaoning province.

The jade artifact, a hallmark of the Neolithic Hongshan culture, reminded her of ancient Japanese magatama beads and similar curved motifs found in early Celtic and Mayan cultures.

"It seems humanity has had a common aesthetic understanding of dynamic curves from very early times," Anda said. "This makes me wonder if there exists some kind of aesthetic gene that transcends geography and time."