From the skull fossils of ancient humans to gleaming bronze vessels, from charred grains of prehistoric rice to exquisite embroidered silks, relics unearthed along the Yangtze River offer a glimpse into the evolution of life and culture along one of the world's greatest rivers.

Ever-flowing: Exhibition of the Yangtze River and the Chinese Civilization, which opened in mid-June at Changsha Museum in Hunan province, invites visitors on a sweeping, millennia-spanning journey.

As part of the celebrations for this year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day that highlights the country's efforts to preserve and rejuvenate China's cultural relics, the exhibition traces the evolution of Chinese civilization along the Yangtze River — from prehistoric settlements to imperial grandeur, and into modern connectivity, through more than 200 sets of rare cultural relics on display.

It was jointly hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Hunan government, and has brought together an unprecedented collaboration of 51 major cultural institutions, including the Palace Museum and the National Museum of China.

The exhibition intends to offer an immersive narrative of the region's rich historical and cultural landscape and highlight the critical role that the Yangtze River has played in the formation and development of Chinese civilization, according to the organizers of the exhibition that will last through to Oct 12.