41 rare Chinese artefacts to make Singapore debut in four classic novels showcase

A rare edition of Water Margin is one of the items that China classified as its highest grade for national heritage objects.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Published Sep 21, 2026, 03:00 PM

Updated Sep 21, 2026, 03:00 PM

Forty-one rare Chinese artefacts, including two top-graded cultural relics, will be exhibited in Singapore in December 2026, showcasing the Four Great Chinese Classic Novels with items on loan from the National Library of China.

The exhibition features early editions, manuscripts, and other items like drinking game cards, alongside Singapore’s own collection.

Interactive digital installations will enrich the visitor experience, reflecting the novels’ cultural impact and the strong partnership between Singapore and China’s national libraries.

SINGAPORE - Forty-one rare historical artefacts that have never been exhibited outside China will make their way to Singapore for an upcoming showcase later this year.

Among the items on loan from the National Library of China (NLC) are two cultural relics that China has classified as its highest grade for national heritage objects, based on factors such as rarity and significance .

They will be part of an exhibition on the four great Chinese classic novels – Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margin and Journey to the West – that will open at the National Library Singapore in December 2026.

An NLB team, led by chief executive officer Melissa Tam, caught a glimpse of the items during a visit to the NLC in Beijing on Sept 20. Tam was accompanied on the visit by five members of NLB’s curatorial and partnerships teams.

One of the two top-graded artefacts is a rare edition of Water Margin containing commentary from renowned Ming Dynasty philosopher, literary critic and historian Li Zhuowu.

This is the most complete 100-chapter version that still exists , with high-quality illustrations of key story scenes that have been influential in the history of Chinese printing. This work preserves many of the original poems found in author Shi Nai'an’s text and is critical for studies on the novel’s development.

The other is a rare manuscript of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the earliest surviving handwritten versions that dates back to 1759 . Such manuscripts are often used to trace the novel’s evolution and uncover the author’s original intent.

A rare manuscript of Dream of the Red Chamber, which is also a top-graded artefact. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

A rare manuscript of Dream of the Red Chamber, which is also a top-graded artefact.

Other notable artefacts include an early version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms with revisions and commentary by scholar Mao Zonggang, whose edition was later widely adopted, and a set of drinking game cards with 40 characters from Water Margin.

There are also other early editions, woodblock prints and opera scripts dating from the 17th to 19th centuries.

An NLC representative said on Sept 20 that the ancient books were selected based on three principles: tracing the history of the editions, showing the breadth of their circulation, and highlighting their continued relevance through later adaptations and reinterpretations.

The items will be displayed alongside artefacts from the National Library of Singapore’s own collection.

This includes Chrita Dahulu-kala, Namanya Sam Kok, a 30-volume Baba Malay translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Chan Kim Boon. Published in Singapore between 1892 and 1896, it shows how a Chinese literary classic became part of Singapore’s multicultural literary history, NLB said.

The exhibition, to be presented in both English and Chinese, will also offer an immersive journey through the world of each novel via interactive digital installations.

Among these is an interactive wall inspired by a Qing dynasty imperial opera, where visitors can discover how the Sun Wukong character in Journey to the West obtained his iconic weapon - a magical staff that can change its size at his command.

The exhibition builds on a long-standing partnership between the two national libraries that was established in 1997, covering areas such as the exchange of library materials, staff attachments and information resource sharing.

A recent memorandum of understanding signed between the two libraries in March 2025 made the loan of these artefacts possible.

The exhibition was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Mandarin speech at the National Day Rally on Aug 23. He said then that many Singaporeans know these stories from young and have learnt many values from them.

Tam said on Sept 20 : “These Chinese classics transcend time and language...and they speak to timeless themes of love, friendship, loyalty and discipline.”

She added that NLB is working closely with its counterparts at NLC to ensure that the artefacts are appropriately cared for from their journey to Singapore through to their display and eventual return.

What are these novels about?

The four great Chinese classic novels have influenced literature, film, and popular culture across Asia for centuries.

Journey to the West is a 16th century late-Ming dynasty Chinese novel, whose authorship is attributed to Wu Cheng En.

In the story, the Tang emperor and Buddha task a monk Tang Sanzang to retrieve Buddhist scriptures from Tian Zhu, a mythical location in the Indian subcontinent. Tang is accompanied by three disciples: Monkey King Sun Wukong, Pigsy the pig demon Zhu Bajie, and Sandy the river ogre Sha Wujing.

Water Margin’s current version is believed to have been completed in the 16th century, around 1524 during the reign of the Jiajing emperor.

It is generally attributed to Shi Nai’an and Luo Guanzhong, with Shi credited as author of the first 100 chapters and Luo, a student of Shi, credited for the remaining 30.

Set in the late Northern Song dynasty, it tells the story of a band of 108 heroes who gathered at the marshes of Mount Liang to oppose the Song government helmed by corrupt officials.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a historical novel written in the 14th century (late Yuan dynasty to early Ming dynasty), attributed to Luo Guanzhong.

It follows a semi-fictional historical narrative set in the late years of the Eastern Han dynasty and the subsequent Three Kingdoms period. It details various power struggles among the many warlords as they vied for dominion over China, and combines historical material from the Three Kingdoms Annals with folklore and legends.

This Chinese New Year painting is believed to date from 1978. The figures are Dream of the Red Chamber's Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, who seem to be reading poetry. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

This Chinese New Year painting is believed to date from 1978. The figures are Dream of the Red Chamber's Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, who seem to be reading poetry.

Dream of the Red Chamber was written in the 18th century during the Qing dynasty. It is attributed to Cao Xueqin, although some scholars argue that the final 40 chapters were not authored by him.

The story follows the rise and fall of the Jia family, and is often viewed as a social critique on Qing materialist culture and values. The novel has even sparked its own academic field called “Redology”.

Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times, covering a wide range of topics including community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage.

National Library Board

《水浒传》的珍稀版本是中国列为最高等级国家级文物之一的藏品。

图片来源：联合早报

发布于2026年9月21日下午3:00

更新于2026年9月21日下午3:00

2026年12月，新加坡将展出41件中国珍稀文物，其中包括两件顶级文物，展出中国四大经典小说，部分展品来自中国国家图书馆。

展览展出了早期版本、手稿以及其他物品，例如饮酒游戏卡片，以及新加坡自己的藏品。

互动式数字装置将丰富参观者的体验，体现小说的文化影响力以及新加坡和中国国家图书馆之间的紧密合作关系。

新加坡——41件从未在中国境外展出过的珍稀历史文物将于今年晚些时候来到新加坡，参加即将举行的展览。

此次从中国国家图书馆借出的藏品中，有两件文物被中国根据其稀有性和重要性等因素，列为国家级文物最高等级。

它们将成为2026年12月在新加坡国家图书馆开幕的中国四大古典名著——《三国演义》、《红楼梦》、《水浒传》和《西游记》展览的一部分。

9月20日，由首席执行官谭美玲率领的新加坡国家图书馆团队在北京参观国家图书馆时，看到了这些藏品。陪同谭美玲参观的还有新加坡国家图书馆策展和合作团队的五名成员。

两件顶级文物之一是罕见的《水浒传》，其中包含明代著名哲学家、文学评论家和历史学家李卓武的评注。

这是现存最完整的百章本，配有大量精美插图，展现了故事中的关键场景，对中国印刷史产生了深远的影响。此版本保留了史乃庵原著中的许多诗句，对于研究这部小说的创作发展至关重要。

另一份是《红楼梦》的珍贵手稿，是现存最早的手写版本之一，可追溯至1759年。这类手稿常被用来追溯小说的演变过程，并揭示作者的最初意图。

《红楼梦》手抄本，极为罕见，亦为顶级文物。图片：联合早报

《红楼梦》的罕见手稿，也是一件顶级文物。

其他值得注意的文物包括学者毛宗刚修订并注释的《三国演义》早期版本（他的版本后来被广泛采用），以及一套印有《水浒传》中 40 个人物的饮酒游戏卡片。

此外，还有其他一些早期版本、木版画和歌剧剧本，其年代可追溯至 17 至 19 世纪。

9月20日，国家图书馆的一位代表表示，选择这些古籍是基于三个原则：追溯版本的历史，展示其传播的广度，以及通过后来的改编和重新诠释来突出其持续的相关性。

这些物品将与新加坡国家图书馆馆藏文物一同展出。

这其中包括《三国演义》（Chrita Dahulu-kala, Namanya Sam Kok），这是一部30卷的峇峇马来语译本，译自陈金文的《三国演义》。新加坡国家图书馆管理局表示，该译本于1892年至1896年间在新加坡出版，展现了一部中国文学经典如何融入新加坡多元文化的文学史。

本次展览将以英文和中文两种语言呈现，并通过互动式数字装置，为观众提供沉浸式的体验，深入了解每部小说的世界。

其中一面互动墙的灵感来源于清代宫廷戏曲，参观者可以在这里了解《西游记》中的孙悟空是如何获得他的标志性武器——一根可以根据他的意愿改变大小的魔杖的。

此次展览建立在两家国家图书馆自 1997 年建立的长期合作关系之上，涵盖图书馆资料交换、人员交流和信息资源共享等领域。

2025年3月，两家图书馆签署了一份谅解备忘录，使得这些文物的借阅成为可能。

此次展览是总理黄循财在8月23日国庆群众大会上用华语发表讲话时宣布的。他当时表示，许多新加坡人从小就了解这些故事，并从中汲取了许多价值观。

谭于9月20日表示：“这些中国经典超越了时间和语言……它们讲述的是爱、友谊、忠诚和纪律等永恒的主题。”

她补充说，国家图书馆管理局正与国家文物局密切合作，以确保文物从运往新加坡到展出再到最终归还的过程中得到妥善保管。

这些小说讲的是什么内容？

中国四大古典名著几个世纪以来一直影响着亚洲的文学、电影和流行文化。

《西游记》是16世纪明末的中国小说，作者被认为是吴承恩。

故事中，唐朝皇帝和佛祖派遣僧人唐僧前往位于印度次大陆的神秘之地天竺取回佛经。唐僧带着三个弟子：孙悟空、猪八戒和沙悟净。

《水浒传》的现存版本据信完成于16世纪，大约在嘉靖皇帝统治时期（1524年）。

该书一般认为是石乃安和罗贯中所著，石乃安著有前100章，罗贯中是石乃安的学生，著有后30章。

故事发生在北宋末年，讲述了108位英雄聚集在梁山沼泽地，反抗由腐败官员统治的宋朝政府的故事。

《三国演义》是一部写于14世纪（元末明初）的历史小说，相传作者为罗贯中。

这部作品以东汉末年和随后的三国时期为背景，采用半虚构的历史叙事手法，详细描述了众多军阀争夺中国霸权的各种权力斗争，并将《三国志》中的历史素材与民间传说和神话故事相结合。

这幅春节画据信创作于1978年。画中人物是《红楼梦》中的贾宝玉和林黛玉，他们似乎正在吟诗作赋。图片来源：联合早报

这幅中国新年画作据信创作于 1978 年。画中人物是《红楼梦》中的贾宝玉和林黛玉，他们似乎正在吟诗作赋。

《红楼梦》写于十八世纪清朝时期，通常被认为是曹雪芹的作品，但一些学者认为最后四十章并非他所作。

这部小说讲述了贾家兴衰的故事，常被视为对清代唯物主义文化和价值观的社会批判。它甚至催生了一个名为“红色学”的独立学术领域。

Chin Soo Fang 是《海峡时报》的资深记者，报道范围广泛，包括社区、政治、社会问题、消费者、文化和遗产等话题。

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