What is the happiest thing about the New Year for a culture lover?
The answer may be various, but for Xiaobian, there is one choice that has not changed:
Walk the fewest roads and see the most treasures of the town!
The treasures of the town hall all over the south and north of the sky
However, the reason why the treasures of the town hall are the treasures of the town hall is precisely because they are precious and rare. Often run one or two places, you can only see a few of them, and even some are always "not on duty" for various reasons.
Is it really possible to want to see most of them all at once?
The answer, of course– yes!
In 2022, the Forbidden City's annual exhibition "Why China" will definitely make you feast your eyes and make the trip worthwhile!
01
From "National Treasure" to the Forbidden City Exhibition
If you're the ultimate fan of National Treasure, you'll remember the final shock of The National Treasure season three.
Curators from nearly 30 participating museums across the country gathered together to unveil the special exhibition of cultural relics of "National Treasure" with the treasures of their own museums.
Today, this annual war that has satisfied our appetite has finally appeared in the Forbidden City.
The "Why China" exhibition, jointly organized by the Palace Museum and the Central Radio and Television Corporation, gathered nearly 30 museums from all over the country, each of which showed its own treasures.
Bronze sun wheel from Sanxingdui, Sleeping Tiger Di Qin Jian from Hubei Yunmeng, Yu Chun from Liangzhu culture... There are also Changxin Palace Lamps, Jin Ou Yonggu Cups, tibetan "Four Medical Codes" and so on. In short, more than 130 pieces/sets of precious cultural relics originally scattered throughout China temporarily housed the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City.
Exhibition scene Source: Micro Forbidden City
These cultural relics start from the Stone Age to the Qing Dynasty, including stone tools, ceramics, jade, bronze, gold and silver, calligraphy and painting, ancient books, seals and other categories (due to the environment of the exhibition hall, most of the paper and silk cultural relics are reproductions).
In particular, it is worth saying that the absolute "C position" in the exhibition hall is He Zun of the Baoji Bronze Museum, the Yu Chun of zhejiang Province, and the jade dragon of the Forbidden City.
Source: The Palace Museum
In addition to these artifacts, which appeared in the three seasons of "National Treasures", there are also some museums that have participated in this special exhibition even before they have time to appear on the show.
Ejun Qijin Festival from Anhui Museum and Persian Peacock Blue Bottle from Fujian Museum
In addition, at the end of the video, the "Why China" thick earth cube, which is composed of soil from 30 important archaeological sites across the country, will also participate in this exhibition and make a surprise appearance at the Wenhua Hall of the Forbidden City!
Civilization is like water converging into the answer to "why China"
Source: China Cultural Relics Daily
Even if due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the cultural relics of some museums in Henan and Shaanxi cannot be exhibited at the opening time, and in the future, as appropriate, they will be supplemented during the exhibition period.
02
Exhibition spoilers
The exhibition of the Forbidden City this time compares Chinese civilization to a river with a long history, with three units of "source", "flow" and "convergence" as the main line. Under each of the three units, there are three sections, which are combined into "nine chapters".
The first unit, "Source", is divided into three sections: "Between Heaven and Earth", "Birth and Work", and "Foundation of Enlightenment". Looking forward to the sparks of the rise of Chinese civilization.
The second unit, "Flow", is divided into three sections: "Blood Dependence", "Solidarity", and "Solidarity and Coexistence". Focus on the exchange and integration of the Chinese nation with other nationalities and civilizations.
The third unit, "Hui", is divided into three sections: "Minben Bangning", "Gewu Restoration" and "Convergence Chengjian". Focus on the traditional virtues and Chinese wisdom of the Chinese nation.
Looking at the list, are you already impressed?
03
Get a sneak peek at the wonderful artifacts
What is China?
That's the question That National Treasure has been trying to answer for three seasons. And this "Why China" exhibition can be regarded as an answer sheet handed in by "National Treasures" in the past three seasons.
Posters for the first two seasons of National Treasure
All these cultural relics gathered in the exhibition are representatives of the long history of China and belong to the history of China.
Here, we also select some of the fine cultural relics for a brief introduction.
Plate Katakata
Hunan Provincial Museum Collection Shang Dynasty
It is a bronze fangqi cast in the late Shang Dynasty of China, which belongs to the class of wine vessels, and is named because the inscription on the mouth of the vessel is "Pan Tianquan as the father's own honor Yi".
Tall and magnificent, it is the largest and most exquisite piece of Fang Miao unearthed so far, and is known as the "King of Fang Wei".
Seven Juan Group Jade Pendant
Collection of Henan Museum Western Zhou
The Jade Pendant of the Seven Jewels Group consists of seven pieces of jade pendants that increase in size from top to bottom, from small to large, and are interspersed with two rows of agate and glass beads in a symmetrical row on the left and right.
According to research, this group of jade pendants was used by the monarch of the Western Zhou Dynasty, which is a true embodiment of the jade ceremonial system used in the Western Zhou.
Image source: Happy Play Log
Du Hu Fu
Shaanxi History Museum collection Warring States
The DuHu Symbol is a cultural relic from the Warring States period to the Qin Dynasty, and is the earliest military symbol on the mainland.
One symbol is cut into two halves, the right side remains in the imperial court, and the left half is handed over to the local officials or commanders for safekeeping, and when the two halves are used, they are "consistent", indicating that the order is verified and credible.
Confucius saw Lao Tzu portrait stone
Collection of Shandong Museum Han Dynasty
The Portrait Stone of Confucius and Lao Tzu collected by Shandong Museum is rectangular and composed of multiple drawings, using the technique of subtracting ground lines, and the image composition pays attention to flat expression, with clear contours, simple shapes, and vivid and powerful lines.
The portrait stone of Confucius seeing Lao Tzu is engraved with a friendly meeting of two great sages, Confucius meets Lao Tzu, and Confucianism meets Taoism. It also records the collision of ideas at that time.
Oracle bones
Yin Ruins Museum Collection Shang Dynasty
Oracle bones are turtle shells and animal bones used in ancient Chinese divination. The inscription on it is the earliest mature Chinese character that can be seen on the mainland, directly revealing the existence of the Shang Dynasty.
Image source: Xinhua Net
Bronze sun wheel
Sanxingdui Museum Collection Shang Dynasty
The bronze sun wheel, excavated from Sanxingdui, has a history of more than 3,000 years. It is believed to be a testimony to the sun worship of the ancient Shu ancestors.
Bronze sword
Qin Shi Huang Emperor Mausoleum Museum collection Qin Dynasty
Compared with the previous generation, the bronze swords excavated from the Qin figurine pits have higher hardness, narrow and long swords, and strong piercing ability. It was one of the representatives of the military strength of the first unified empire on the mainland.
Source: Walking Museum
Ejun Qijin Festival
Anhui Museum collection of warring states
Bronze ware of the Warring States period is an important object for studying the transportation, commerce, geography, rune system, concentration and strengthening of the kingship of the Chu state, and the relationship between the king of Chu and the feudal king.
The "golden knot" is cast in copper, and the text is wrong with gold. Because it resembles a split bamboo knot, it is called "knot". This kind of "car festival" and "boat festival" has only been seen so far, so it is extremely precious.
Image source: Co-production Jun
Merchant martingale fang liter
Shanghai Museum Collection Warring States
Also known as the shang martingale volume, it is a copper measuring instrument of the Qin state in the Warring States period, representing the one-liter volume of the Qin state and is a national first-class cultural relic.
The Shang martingale Fangsheng is a landmark artifact that cannot be mentioned in the history of chinese weights and measures, is the evidence of the unified weights and measures of the Qin State, and is also the standard on which the capacity and length unit value of the Warring States to the Qin and Han Dynasties are compared.
Yun Dream Sleeping Tiger Ground Qin Jian
Hubei Provincial Museum Collection Warring States - Qin
Yunmeng Qinjian was excavated in December 1975 in the tomb of Sleeping Tiger Diqin in Yunmeng County, Hubei Province.
Written in the late Warring States period and the Qin Shi Huang period, the content of which is mainly the legal system, administrative documents, medical works and zhanshu on auspicious times during the Qin Dynasty, providing detailed information for the study of the development history of Chinese calligraphy and the politics, law, economy, culture, and medicine of the Qin Empire.
Yu Chun
Zhejiang Provincial Museum Collection Neolithic
It was excavated in 1986 at the Liangzhu site in Yuhang, Zhejiang. Jade is an important feature of Liangzhu culture.
Jade was used to make ceremonial vessels and was used during sacrifices to pray for blessings and avoid disasters. Weighing 6.5 kilograms, this piece of jade is the largest, heaviest and most exquisitely crafted piece of Liangzhu jade that has been discovered, and is known as the "King of Chun".
Ho Zun
Baoji Bronze Museum Western Zhou
It was excavated in 1963 in Jiacun Town, Baoji County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province (now Chencang District, Baoji City). Zun Nedal is cast with an inscription of 12 lines and 122 characters, of which "Zhaozi China" is the earliest written record of the word "China".
It is mentioned that King Wu of Zhou decided to build the eastern capital in Luoyi during his lifetime, that is, "Zhaozi China", which can be corroborated with the records of "LuoHuan" and "ZhaoHuan" in the Book of Shang, which played a role in confirming and supplementing history, and provided important physical materials for the study of Western Zhou history and the dating of bronzes.
Tang Sancai pottery pisces bottle
Collection of Nanjing Museum Tang
The Pisces bottle is made of a mixture of yellow, green, white and other glazes, just like the sunset on the edge of the sky.
Generally speaking, if there are multiple colors on a porcelain or an artifact, it will be called "colorful" or "three colors". "Sancai" is just an imaginary number, Tang Sancai broke the technique of tang dynasty monochrome glaze decorative porcelain, and unprecedented colored porcelain appeared.
The connection between the Pisces means "more than one year in a row", which is more than suitable for the atmosphere of the New Year.
Flower tree-like golden step shake
Liaoning Provincial Museum Collection Jin Dynasty
Bu Shake, with a long history, as early as the Warring States Period, there were "Step Shake" written records.
The "Three Swallows" step-and-swing ornaments unearthed in Liaoning Province are the most abundant in China, and the swaying charm of women in the past can be faintly seen.
The Tang monks took the sutra diagram porcelain pillow
Guangdong Provincial Museum Collection Yuan
"Tang monks take sutra porcelain pillow" is a representative work of Cizhou kiln. It appeared in the Yuan Dynasty, that is, before the Journey to the West was written.
The story of the Tang monks taking the scriptures painted on the pillow is one of the early images of the Tang monks taking the scriptures that have survived to the present day, which is still different from the image in the Journey to the West, and is a precious material for studying the writing process of the famous mythological novel "Journey to the West" on the mainland.
Niu Hu Copper Case
Yunnan Provincial Museum Collection Warring States
Case, also known as "trick", is a kind of ceremonial vessel in ancient China where meat sacrifices are placed. The cattle and tiger cases were used to sacrifice cattle and animals, and were the most important sacrifices in ancient sacrifices.
The Niuhu Copper Case is a national treasure of Yunnan, and it is also another appearance of the mysterious ancient Dian kingdom in the world.
Emissaries picture portrait bricks
Gansu Provincial Museum Wei Jin
This "Emissary Map" vividly reproduces the scene of the northwest frontier emissaries sending documents at that time, and has a profound impact on the art of Chinese painting in later generations.
The portrait brick vividly reproduces the situation of The Chinese Postal Station more than 1600 years ago, and is considered to be the earliest image data of the ancient Postal Station found in China. Today, it is also the image ambassador of China Post.
Persian peacock blue glazed pottery vase
Collection of Fujian Museum Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
The "Persian Peacock Blue Glazed Pottery Vase" is the earliest peacock blue glaze artifact found in the mainland, which is highly similar to the Islamic pottery vase in ancient Persia in Western Asia.
Scholars believe that the peacock blue glazed pottery vase excavated from Liu Hua's tomb is likely to have come to Fuzhou through overseas trade, confirming the important position of Fujian in the Maritime Silk Road.
Deer King Bunsen Diagram (Copy)
Dunhuang Research Institute Northern Wei
"Deer King Bunsheng Tu" is a mural of the Northern Wei Dynasty in Cave 257 of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, which is an outstanding representative of ancient Buddhist art on the mainland and the origin of childhood memories of "nine-colored deer".
Copy version
Liao deer horn grass pattern gilt gold and silver horse ornament
Inner Mongolia Museum Collection Liao
The gilt and silver horse ornament is composed of multiple parts, although it is a horse ornament of ethnic minorities, it is the same as that of the Tang Dynasty.
It is a representative of the Khitan national Kurama culture and handicraft production, and is also the evidence of cultural exchanges.
Changxin Palace lamp
Hebei Museum Collection Han Dynasty
It was excavated in 1968 from the tomb of Dou Xie, the wife of Liu Sheng, king of Zhongshan Jing in Mancheng County, Hebei Province. Changxin Palace lamp is divided into head, body, right arm, lamp holder, lamp plate, lampshade and other parts, which can be arbitrarily removed.
The lamp is engraved with inscriptions such as "Changxin Shangyu" and "YangxinJia" with a total of 65 characters in 9 places. The palace maid holds a lamp in one hand, and the sleeve of the other hand seems to be blocking the wind, which is actually a rainbow pipe to absorb oil smoke, which not only prevents air pollution, but also has aesthetic value. The exquisite design of this lamp and the high level of production technology are second to none in the Han Dynasty lamps.
Yan's family temple stele rubbings
Xi'an Forest of Steles Museum collection of Tang Dynasty
The full title of the "Monument to the Temple of the Yan Family" is "Tang Dynasty Tonghui Dafu Xing Xue Wang Youzhu Guoguo Gift Secretary Shaojian Guozi Sacrifice Wine Prince Shaobao YanJun Inscription", the author is Yan Zhenqing, known as "the monument of Chinese calligraphy".
Yan's family temple stele, this exhibition is a rubbing
The Four Medical Codes in Tibetan
Potala Palace Hides Tang
The "Four Medical Classics" is an authoritative tool book of Tibetan medicine that integrates the medical practice and theoretical essence of Tibetan medicine, and is known as the encyclopedia of Tibetan medicine, which is the most systematic, complete and fundamental theoretical system in Tibetan medicine.
In June 2018, the Four Medical Codex was inscribed on the Memory of the World Asia-Pacific List.
Ten offerings of Shang Zhou
Confucius Museum Collection Shang/Zhou
The Shang Zhou Ten Offerings, also known as the "Shang Zhou Ten Instruments", are counted as: Carpentry Ding, Book, Zi Zun, Ya Zun, Bo Yi, Pan Chu Dun, Bao Gui, Gluttonous Food, Feng Bean, and Four-legged Mane.
Originally a bronze ceremonial vessel from the Shang and Zhou dynasties held by the imperial court, it is a treasure of the Confucius Temple given by the Qianlong Emperor and one of the representatives of the traditional ritual system.
Jin Ou Yonggu Cup
The Palace Museum Qing
The production of the Jin Ou Yonggu Cup is the most important treasure-making project in the history of the Qing Dynasty. The length of its production time, the complexity of the process, the refinement of the art skills, the wide range of artificial use, and the high degree of attention paid by the emperor are unprecedented in the history of Chinese treasure making.
It is precisely for this reason that it can be called the treasure of the town and country of the Qing Dynasty, and it is the peak of the traditional gold and silver ware making process on the mainland.
Southern Song Dynasty Astronomical Tablet Rubbings
Suzhou Inscription Museum Collection Southern Song Dynasty
The stone carvings of the Southern Song Dynasty, the stele is divided into two parts, the star map is based on the astronomical observations of the Yuanfeng period, which almost includes all the astronomical knowledge of China before the Song Dynasty.
Source: Suzhou Inscription Museum
Miniature Ming furniture
Suzhou Museum Collection
In 1966, the tomb of The Husband and Wife of Wang Xijue, the first assistant of the Ming Dynasty Cabinet, was recreated, and five pieces of miniature Ming-style furniture were found in the tomb, including a pull-out bed, a small wooden table, a small wooden chair, a hanger, and a washbasin frame.
Miniature Ming-style furniture is based on lines, and reduces in a certain proportion, the proportion is very accurate, the simple and generous style of Ming-style furniture is vividly displayed, which is the carrier of the ideal and aesthetics of the Ming Dynasty literati, and is also an important physical historical material for our study of Ming Dynasty furniture.
"Five-star out of the East to benefit China" Brocade arm protection
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum collection of the Han Dynasty
It was excavated in 1995 at the Niya site in Minfeng County. It is embroidered with red, yellow, blue, white and green silk threads, embroidered with peacocks, cranes, evil spirits, tigers and other auspicious birds and beasts, and the words "Five Stars Out of the East and China" are written in Hanli above and below.
The form and content of Caijin embodies the Five Elements Theory, which is a typical embodiment of the flourishing of the Five Elements Philosophical Thought in the Han Dynasty in artistic creation.
Later Shu Remnant Stone Classic
Collection of Sichuan Museum Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
The Shu Shi Jing is commonly known as the "Guangzheng Stone Classic". The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period began in Shu and lasted nearly 200 years. Also known as the Mengshu Stone Classic, the Guangzheng Stone Classic, and the Thirteen Classics of the Stone Chamber.
In China's five-thousand-year history, only seven Confucian stone scriptures have been engraved, and the Later Shu Stone Classics are the ones with the largest number of words, the longest publication time, and the largest scale among these stone classics, which is also praised by scholars as "crowning the world and hanging endlessly".
- Exhibition Tips -
Exhibition Title: Why China
Exhibition time: January 26, 2022 - May 6, 2022
Exhibition venue: Palace Museum - Wenhua Hall
Exhibition Introduction: The long-standing, broad and profound Chinese civilization is regarded as a big river, and the origin, inheritance and development of civilization are compared to the source, flow and confluence of the river. With the three units of "source", "flow" and "convergence", it shows the cultural characteristics of Chinese civilization that are diverse, integrated, continuous and inclusive, expounds the historical context of the origin and development of Chinese civilization, the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization, and the major contributions of Chinese civilization to human civilization, and summarizes and clearly presents why the land of China is China.
Opening Hours:
Peak season (4.1-10.31) 8:30-17:00 (last admission at 16:10)
Low Season (11.1-3.31) 8:30-16:30 (Last admission at 15:40)
Except for statutory holidays, the museum is closed all day on Mondays throughout the year
(During the Spring Festival holiday, the Forbidden City opens for 3 days from the first day of the first month to the third day of the first month, and closes on the day of the Chinese New Year's Eve and the fourth to sixth day of the first month of the first month)