BEIJING, March 19 (Xinhua) -- The Capital Museum in Beijing is hosting an exhibition about the cultural and historical development of northwest China's Qinghai Province, focusing particularly on its close relationship with the ancient Silk Road.

The show, Qinghai in the Belt and Road, is open until June 30 and displays 442 cultural relics, including works of colored pottery and copper ware, religious art and crafts, as well as silk fabrics and other treasures. It is the first time that many of the exhibits have been shown to the public, the China Daily reported.

A pottery basin depicting people dancing together hand-in-hand displays Qinghai culture during the Stone Age. "The work is one of the earliest symbols of dance culture in China," says Li Zhixin, the director of Qinghai Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, the newspaper reported.

"The ancient people are joining hands to take part in the dance, which implies a spirit of joint effort. And this spirit inspires people today to seek cooperation as well," Li was quoted as saying.

Located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Qinghai has an average altitude of over 3,000 meters. Its unique geographical conditions have nurtured distinctive cultural features over the centuries.