A Critical Review of the China’s Hidden Century Exhibition at the British Museum

In 2023, the British Museum held a special exhibition titled <italic>China’s Hidden Century</italic>, showcasing the diverse social landscape of China from 1796 to 1912. The exhibition deliberately shifted its perspective, abandoning the macro historical narrative in favor of a fragmented display strategy, focusing on cultural innovation amidst the corruption and darkness of the late Qing Dynasty. It avoided political controversies related to the sensitive identity of <italic>invaders</italic> but faced criticism for downplaying Britain’s colonial history. The analysis of exhibition audience comments on Weibo using the ROST Content Mining 6 software reveals that while some Chinese audiences on social media affirmed the innovative display strategy, the humiliating characteristics of the history of the late Qing Dynasty remain the most prominent audience impression.