Beyond their glittering facets and rugged textures, rocks and minerals hold the Earth's deepest memories: of stellar explosions, ancient oceans, and the forces that sculpted the continents. Having started on Tuesday, an exhibition at the Natural History Museum of China in Beijing invites visitors to decode these stories, unveiling a stunning collection that traces a line from the planet's violent beginnings to the dawn of human civilization and beyond.

Titled Treasure of Earth: Exquisite Minerals and Rocks, the exhibition presents more than 200 specimens and will run through Feb 1. Supported by the Inner Mongolia Museum of Natural History, it unfolds across four chapters exploring the science of minerals, the epic cycle of rocks, the mystery of meteorites, and the profound role minerals have played in human advancement, inviting audiences on a journey to uncover the secrets of the Earth's billion-year geological saga.

In her opening address, Xue Li, president of the Chinese Association of Natural Science Museums, said the event aligns with the strategic plan for "building a leading cultural powerhouse" outlined by the central government.

"Museums, as hallowed halls of national culture and key instruments for science popularization, bear the mission of nurturing the people through culture and education," Xue says, adding that the exhibition is a good example of improving public scientific literacy and promoting the concept of ecological civilization.