The exhibition had been on display since October 26, 2024, and received rave reviews from both the press and the public. Dutch newspaper NRC awarded it five stars, and visitors gave it an average rating of 8.8.
“Truly stunning presentation and layout of the objects, the videos, the unique path through the final gallery, the quotes in the texts, the tasteful, tender, and artistic design—everything was beautiful, and also playful.”
“A fantastic exhibition, exceptional objects, and very informative. Phenomenally executed. Kudos!”
New Audiences
The majority of visitors (70%) came from outside Friesland. The exhibition succeeded in reaching new audiences, including many people from the Chinese community in the Netherlands. This was partly due to the strong involvement of the local Chinese community in events such as the Chinese New Year celebrations and the museum’s presence on Chinese social media platforms like Little Red Book/Red Note.
Among visitors from outside Leeuwarden, an impressive 95% came to the city specifically for the exhibition. As a result, the museum attracted more than 43,000 cultural tourists who would not have otherwise visited. A significant number of them stayed overnight, leading to over 13,000 overnight stays in and around the city. These visitors spent more than €5.4 million on food, drinks, shopping, and other activities.
“Amazing, such a beautiful exhibition, very informative and well-presented, with clear explanations. I was in awe—it’s a joy to visit a museum like this, and the rest was also very beautiful and interesting. Housed in a magnificent, historic building. And what a gift shop, and that tea room—so lovely! Hats off!”
During the exhibition's run, the museum website was visited more than 112,000 times. On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Chinese social media, the museum engaged audiences with playful and informative videos. This content reached around 500,000 people.
Activities
The free public opening, featuring the Guess Who: Asian Edition by artist Rui Jun Luong, tea ceremonies, live guqin music (a traditional Chinese string instrument), and speed tours, attracted many people from the region who don’t typically visit museums. The museum had never organized so many tours for a single exhibition—not only in Dutch but also in Chinese and Dutch Sign Language. Nearly all were sold out. The same applied to the two lectures held on International Women’s Day. That day also included a special program for the mothers and children of the Sisterhood in Leeuwarden-Oost. Children always receive free entry to the museum, and during school holidays, additional free workshops were offered. These included making traditional Chinese kites during the Wind Beast Festival, building eco-friendly rockets, designing Chinese fans, and creating and decorating Tang-style plaster horses.
Chinese New Year was celebrated extensively with a lion dance, tours, traditional Chinese paper cutting, and tea ceremonies. In collaboration with Slieker Film, the museum screened the 1967 film Dragon Inn, featuring a special introduction and a guided tour through the exhibition. For ceramic enthusiasts, in-depth lectures and creative workshops were held in collaboration with Lies Keramiek.
“I especially loved the figurines! And I learned a lot during the lecture about an empress I hadn’t heard of before.”
“Such stunning art and a very special story. A perfect and fascinating tour from a great guide!”
Education
The exhibition also attracted many visitors from the education sector. No fewer than 1,370 kindergartners were introduced to Princess Marijke, who hosted a visit from Empress Wu Zetian in a theatrical setting. Wu Zetian was portrayed alternately by two women of Chinese descent. Their presence left a lasting impression on the children.
The life story of Wu Zetian continues to inspire even after thirteen centuries, as seen from the enthusiasm among secondary school students: 533 participated, many of whom joined the museum’s annual design competition. Curator Denise Campbell noted during the judging:
“You can clearly see how the students paid close attention to the symbols and elements important to Wu, such as the phoenix – a symbol of her imperial power – the lotus, a positive motif in Chinese culture, and the written language, in which Wu even introduced her own characters. The designs featured beautiful, bold colors that perfectly matched the vibrant and colorful style of the period, with imperial yellow as the most prominent.”
Students from both vocational and higher education, as well as university programs, participated in tailored subject-related programs. MBO (vocational college) students in creative craftsmanship explored the visual language of Wu Zetian’s time while also researching ceramic-making techniques. HBO master’s students in Leisure Management developed a museum-related intervention at an NHL Stenden location, attracting many international students to the exhibition. HBO students in Online Content Creation tackled a promotional challenge. Leiden University students also visited the exhibition along with curator Denise Campbell.
Publication
The exhibition publication was also a major success, selling out completely. A special offer from the Friends Club gave new members a free copy of the book, resulting in 81 new Friends.
“Excellent presentation, clear storytelling, not too much information—just enough to spark curiosity and encourage further reading at home.”
Tang Dynasty
The exhibition, featuring impressive and rare Chinese masterpieces, told the fascinating life story of Wu Zetian (624–705), the first and only female ruler in nearly 2,000 years of the Chinese empire. It highlighted her rise from concubine to empress—a truly exceptional story set during the golden age of the Tang dynasty, along the Silk Road.
“What Wu Zetian accomplished borders on the unbelievable. And for a woman in her time! She was nearly 1,500 years ahead of her era.”
Pride
The museum is immensely proud to have successfully presented Wu Zetian: The Only Female Emperor of China, and extends heartfelt thanks to all its partners.
Wu Zetian: The Only Female Emperor of China was made possible through collaboration with Art Exhibitions China, Henan Administration of Cultural Heritage, Luoyang Museum, Longmen Grottoes Academy, Luoyang City Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, Zhenjiang Museum, Gongyi Museum, Henan Museum, Yanshi Museum, Xin’an Museum, and Palatina Cultural Group.
The exhibition was made possible with support from the Province of Fryslân, the Mondriaan Fund, the Municipality of Leeuwarden, the Angela E Cultural Fund, the St. Anthony Gasthuis Foundation, the Leeuwarden Entrepreneurs Fund, the Zabawas Foundation, and the New City Orphanage Foundation.
Partners of the Princessehof: Ottema-Kingma Foundation, Friends of the Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics, and Club Céramique.
The Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics is supported by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Municipality of Leeuwarden.