[September 15, 2025, Macau] To commemorate the 12^th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, the POLY MGM MUSEUM will launch its new exhibition, Silk Roads Beyond Borders, on October 1, 2025. Anchored in the cultural heritage of the Belt and Road and framed by the intangible cultural legacies of East and West, the exhibition features four thematic chapters and over 200 rare artifacts, vividly illustrating the grandeur of millennia-long civilizational exchange along the Silk Road.

The exhibition embodies the core values of the Silk Road—peaceful cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning, and shared benefit—underscoring the enduring relevance of cultural exchange. It also affirms the contemporary significance of mutual learning among civilizations and also supports Macau’s vision as a platform for exchange and collaboration, where “Chinese culture serves as the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”.

A Museum Bridging Worlds

Since its opening in November 2024, the POLY MGM MUSEUM has focused on cultural relics and artworks from Belt and Road countries and regions. Through innovative curatorial approaches and flexible spatial design, the museum integrates academic insight, educational engagement, artistic expression, entertainment, and interactivity. It has established itself as a cultural landmark in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and a vital link between Eastern and Western cultures.

Four Thematic Chapters: A Dialogue Across Millennia

Through four themed spaces, the exhibition systematically explores the history of exchange, the achievements of integration, and the future vision of the Silk Road.

1.   Through Sand and Wind

Chronicles the journeys of the ancient Silk Road pioneers and the foundational role of trade and information exchange in sustaining the route’s prosperity over millennia.

2.   Gilded Threads

Highlights material culture—silk weaving, ceramics, lacquerware, metalwork, glassmaking, and enameling—that fostered mutual learning and shaped daily life across Eastern and Western civilizations.

3.   The Golden Bough

Explores the spiritual and aesthetic integration of the Silk Road through imagery, sculpture, and music, alongside philosophical reflections found in scriptures and classical texts—demonstrating its profound role in fostering deeper human dialogue.

4.   Road to the Future

Discover how the Silk Road’s material and spiritual heritage enriches contemporary art and supports the creation of a shared global future rooted in mutual trust, interconnected trade, and cross-cultural understanding.

From “Trailblazing” to “Beyond Borders”: A Civilizational Epic

• Breakthroughs in Cultural Relics

Featuring remarkable treasures from overseas institutions—including the National Museum of Damascus, Syria, and the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum, Japan—for the first time, with future additions planned from Portugal, France, and beyond. These international loans complement impressive exhibits from nearly 20 leading domestic cultural institutions in China, such as the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China, creating a truly global exhibition.

• Modern Interpretations of Silk Road Values 

Showcasing the work of generations of artists—including Chinese painter known as the “guardian of Dunhuang” Chang Shuhong and his daughter Chang Shana—the exhibition highlights over 80 years of dedicated efforts to preserve Dunhuang art. Also featured are ancient Silk Road musical instruments such as the phoenix-headed konghou, five-string pipa, and rebounding pipa, meticulously restored through years of research by world-renowned Chinese musician Tan Dun. Paired with modern symphonic arrangements, these instruments revive the “Sounds of the Silk Road” for contemporary audiences.

• Immersive “Night Tours” of the Museum

Using live performance as a cultural medium, the exhibition brings Silk Road stories to life—blending dynamic enactments with static displays of cultural relics. These immersive night tours offer a multisensory journey through time, weaving together the rich narratives of Silk Road civilization in an experience that transcends time and space.

Looking back at the origin of the Silk Road, the journey began in 138 BCE when Chinese explorer Zhang Qian, bearing his imperial seal, opened diplomatic access to Central Asia and the West—establishing the principle of “mutual exchange of what’s needed” in international relations. This milestone was recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian, the first of the Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. In 2014, the Silk Road: Chang’an–Tianshan Corridor—jointly nominated by China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan—was inscribed on the World Heritage List, marking the world’s first successful transnational nomination for World Heritage status.

In 2025, the POLY MGM MUSEUM traces the arc of civilizational exchange along the ancient Silk Road with its exhibition, Silk Roads Beyond Borders, featuring treasures from museums and other artifacts, such as:

• Bronze Procession of Chariots and Cavalry from Gansu Provincial Museum
• Yongzheng Period Octagonal Blue Glass Bottle from the Palace Museum
• A blue-and-white Ceramic Bottle from the National Museum of Damascus
• A Gandhara Buddha statue from the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum
• A phoenix-headed konghou restored by Tan Dun
• Replicated Dunhuang mural masterpieces produced by four generations of Chinese cultural inheritors

Silk Roads Beyond Borders draws on the past to illuminate the present, animates ancient relics through sound, light, color, and interaction, and connects hearts through art. It celebrates the brilliance of cultural exchange while showcasing the historical splendor of the Silk Road and its contemporary legacy. Together, these elements affirm the enduring power of civilizational intermingling and reflect the cultural commitment to building a more connected and inclusive global future.

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About POLY MGM MUSEUM

POLY MGM MUSEUM is a cultural landmark dedicated to preserving China’s invaluable intangible heritage and promoting global cultural dialogue. Located at MGM in Macau — a city at a historic crossroads on the Maritime Silk Road — the museum adheres to Chinese national standards for the exhibition of grade-one cultural relics, positioning it at the forefront of China’s connection to the world. The museum embodies the harmonious blend of “East meets West”, “Antiquity and Modernity”, “Virtuality and Reality”, and “Culture and Technology”. It offers visitors an immersive experience by combining traditional Chinese craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. The exhibitions feature traditional Chinese intangible heritage crafts from key countries along the “Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road”, all expressed through the lens of modern architecture. The POLY MGM MUSEUM stands as a testament to the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization and reflects Poly Culture and MGM’s commitment to preserving the cultural treasures of the Chinese nation for generations to come.

About Poly Culture

Poly Culture is a leading enterprise group primarily focused on cultural and artistic operations, supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Established in 2000, it was honored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China as a “National-level Cultural Industry Demonstration Base” and has amassed more than 10 wins of “China’s Top 30 Culture Enterprises”.

Poly Culture Group owns and controls over 150 subsidiaries, including well-known brands like Poly Theater, Poly Auction, Poly Film, Poly Art Education, Poly WeDo, and Poly Art Museum. In recent years, Poly Culture has actively expanded its presence in cultural communication, tourism, asset management, digitalization, and other sectors, achieving notable growth.

Poly Culture, guided by the principles outlined by President Xi Jinping and anchored in his thoughts on culture, is committed to delivering top-notch cultural products and services to the public. The group aims to present China’s stories and amplify its voice through refined cultural and artistic endeavors. It strives to be a “leading creator of a brighter future”, focusing on key missions such as upholding socialism, rallying public support, fostering a new generation with sound values and ethics, developing Chinese culture, and building a positive image of China. Poly Culture is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of China’s rich traditional heritage, fostering the growth and prosperity of cultural endeavors and industries, and contributing to the advancement of cultural confidence and the construction of mode.

About MGM

MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in Greater China. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai. 

MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. The POLY MGM MUSEUM spanning almost 2,000 square meters, is constructed in accordance with Chinese national standards for the exhibition of Grade-One cultural relics. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities also include conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.

Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, MGM COTAI offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings, food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience.  MGM has joined hands with renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou to set up the “Macau 2049” residency in MGM Theater. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:    

Jessie Kuan

Executive Director of Public Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3412

Email: jessiekuan@mgm.mo

Karen Lam

Assistant Director of Corporate Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3421

Email: karenlam@mgm.mo