Gu Jiu, former president of the provincial cultural and history research institute, says the exhibition marks "a solid step forward in Guizhou's cultural development".

He says the exhibition has achieved the goal of providing newcomers with an overview of Guizhou and gives those who return a deeper appreciation of the province.

However, he stresses that the exhibition demonstrates that there are still many stories hidden in history that require further exploration.

Meng Aijun, vice-curator of Guizhou's provincial institute of cultural and historical research, and member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, says the exhibition serves important educational purposes. Since the start of the 21st century, archaeological discoveries have been taking place across the country, and these findings and sites preserve the historical and cultural memories of various regions and eras, Meng says.

Interdisciplinary research institutions and expert groups, Meng suggests, should collaborate and conduct in-depth studies on the history of the formation of the Chinese nation in archaeological sites across the country, providing a systematic interpretation of the development trend of the nation.

Lu Yongzheng, head of the province's publicity department, says the exhibition vividly presents significant historical events in multiethnic interaction, exchange and integration that occurred in Guizhou.

"It successfully presents a historical and cultural scroll of Guizhou that demonstrates the formation and development of China, proving that Chinese civilization is diverse yet integrated," Lu says.

He says he hopes that all cultural and tourism institutions in the province, as well as its museum staff, will use the exhibition as an opportunity to upgrade exhibitions to better meet public cultural needs.