The Yin Shang oracle bones, the Juyan Han Jian, the Dunhuang testament, and the archives of the Ming and Qing cabinets are the "four great discoveries" of Chinese scholarship at the beginning of the last century. Some of the cultural relics related to the "Four Great Discoveries" are collected in the National Library, some in museums and research institutes around the world, and some in relevant archival institutions, because of the fragility of oracle bones, simple swords, and paper as writing media, these cultural relics are rare to see.
The Paper learned that from January 14, the largest exhibition of "Four Great Discoveries" cultural relics so far, the "Four Great Discoveries of Chinese Ancient Documents in the Early 20th Century", opened a preview exhibition at the National Museum of Classics, and the public can make an appointment for free visit. Guided by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and co-sponsored by China's First Historical Archives, Dunhuang Academy, Gansu Jianmu Museum and National Library (National Museum of Classics), the exhibition is divided into four topics: "Yin Wu Oracle Bones", "Juyan Han Jian", "Dunhuang Testament" and "Ming and Qing Archives".
This series of exhibitions brings together four major documents collected in various places, with an exhibition area of nearly 3,000 square meters, and a total of 249 kinds of precious cultural relics and documents, such as oracle bones, simple mu, Dunhuang suicide notes, and Ming and Qing Dynasty archives, a total of 249 kinds and 382 pieces. The exhibition uses classics, physical objects, audio and video, multimedia and other means to display, through the interpretation of historical materials, dialogue with history, tracing Chinese history, and exploring the Chinese context.
Exhibition view
Yin Wu Oracle Bone: The mystery of oracle bone divination
The oracle bone script is by far the earliest mature script in China, and the discovery of the Yinxu oracle bone confirmed the Shang Dynasty, which only exists in the classics, as a history of faith. Over the past 120 years since the discovery of oracle bones, oracle bone researchers have spread to dozens of countries such as China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Canada, becoming an important tool for understanding China's early history and ancient civilization. In 2017, Oracle was inscribed on the Memory of the World Register.
Exhibition view
It is reported that the National Library (National Museum of Classics) has a collection of 35,651 oracle bones, accounting for about a quarter of the total number of surviving records, and is the largest unit in the world, including 34,783 oracle bones.
Located in the fifth exhibition hall of the National Museum of Classics, the theme of "Oracle Bones of Yinxu" is divided into four units: "Reproduced Civilization", "Mysterious Text", "Magical Kingdom" and "Journey of Exploration", through the display of oracle bones, pictures of archaeological excavation data, and highlights of related research results.
"Reproduced civilization" took the discovery of oracle bones in the late Qing Dynasty as the starting point, and opened the prelude to oracle bone research through the determination of the land where the oracle bones were produced and the results of many archaeological excavations in Yin Wu. "Mysterious Text" describes in detail the indenture carrier, rectification process, writing deed engraving method and tools of oracle bones, and lists the structural laws of oracle bones such as pictograms, signifiers, and intentions.
Exhibition view
"Magical Kingdom" tells the characters of divination in the Shang Dynasty, and shows the procedure of oracle bone divination, the complete structure of oracle bone divination in the form of charts, unveils the mystery of oracle bone divination, and shows everyone the social life styles such as worshiping gods, astronomical calendar, farming and animal husbandry, field hunting activities, and seeking medical treatment during the Yin Shang Dynasty; "The Journey of Exploration" summarizes the course of tireless exploration and research of oracle bones by successive generations of scholars for more than 100 years, inventories the continuous excavation and research of oracle bones by scholars, lists the research achievements of well-known scholars such as "Oracle Bone Four Halls", and the history of oracle bone collection in the National Library.
Tortoise shell 5030 Shang Wuding period Fragment of cow shoulder blade
Oracle bone 5410 This piece of armor is offered to the ancestors for the "years" sacrifice
A total of 54 exhibits of 50 species were exhibited in the theme of "Yin Wu Oracle Bones", including 35 pieces of 32 types of oracle bones in the National Library and 19 pieces of other exhibits of 18 species in the National Library. Highlights include the fragment of the turtle belly armor 2174 that records the hunting of elk and rabbit, and the "rabbit" character on the "rabbit" character on the pictogram basically shows the front and back legs and small short tail of the rabbit, which is very vivid and expressive.
Oracle bone 2174
The important cultural relics in the collection of the National Library, the "Sifang Wind Oracle", have 24 oracle bones (remains, the full text should be 28 characters) engraved on a cow's shoulder blade, recording the gods representing the four directions of east, west, south and north and the corresponding four wind gods.
Initially, some oracle bone scholars thought that it was just a pseudo-carved cow shoulder blade, because the inscription on it was not a word, and the back of the bone did not have traces of drilling. Later, Mr. Hu Houxuan, a famous oracle osteologist and historian, studied this cow shoulder blade. He believes that the bone font is neat, ancient in style, and knowledgeable in literature and science, which is different from fabrication and should belong to the Wuding period inscription.
Oracle bone 12789
The oracle bone 5405, the largest in size and the largest number of words in the oracle bone collection of the National Library, is 43.5 cm long and 24 cm wide, with a total of 218 characters, the content is to sacrifice to Yin Xiangong and the mountain god; Oracle bone 5509 records the solar eclipse of the Shang Dynasty, one of the earliest solar eclipse records in the world; Oracle bone 6006 was conjugated with other oracle bone fragments by the famous oracle bone expert Dong Zuobin to determine the lineage of the Shang king, which not only confirmed that the relevant records in the "Shiji Yin Benji" are basically correct, but also confirmed the "Shiji Yin Benji" The recorded order of the Shang kings was revised to solve the major doubt about the lineage of the Shang kings.
Oracle bone 5405
Oracle 6006
One of the oracle bones in the exhibition, 5509, is the only recorded solar eclipse ever seen in oracle bones.
Oracle bone 5509
Oracle bone 5708 During the Shang Emperor Yi Dixin period, this is a relatively rare human skull
In addition, the exhibition combines interactive technology to restore scenes through diversified innovative designs, and sets up "three-dimensional picture scrolls", "surname forests" and "simulated divination scene areas", etc., using the combination of three-dimensional spatial restoration and sound and light to present shocking and gorgeous visual effects.
Juyan Hanjian: Recreate the magnificent and desolate border life
Juyan Han Jian is a simple mound unearthed in the ruins of Juyan Beacon in the Han Dynasty, most of which are Han Dynasty Biansai Tunshu archival documents, and a small part are books, calendars and personal letters, the content of the simplified text most truly and vividly shows the work and life of the Han Dynasty Juyanshu border officials.
Exhibition view
In 1930, the Sino-Swiss Northwest Scientific Expedition found more than 10,000 Han Jian in the Juyan area (present-day Ejina Banner in Inner Mongolia and Jinta County in Gansu Province), which was the first batch of Guyan Han Jian. From 1972 to 1986, the Gansu Provincial Department of Cultural Relics conducted another investigation and excavation of the Han Dynasty relics in the Juyan area, and unearthed more than 20,000 Han Janes, which are the second batch of Juyan Han Janes, which are now stored in the Gansu Jianmu Museum.
The theme of "Guyan Han Jian" is located in the sixth exhibition hall of the National Museum of Classics, including five units: "There are books and classics", "Quicksand Falling Jane", "Juyan Hansai", "The desert smoke" and "The hand does not release the scroll".
The two units of "There are Books and Classics" and "Quicksand Falling Jane" trace the history of the development of Jian Mu and systematically introduce the discovery process and important cultural relics of Juyan Han Jian. "Jane" is long in shape, mostly bamboo or wood; The "mu" is wide in size and mostly made of wood (a small number of bamboo mu have also been found in the excavated objects). The form of Jianmu can also be further subdivided into za, mu, liangxing, 檄, yao, brown, and check.
Book rope Jane
"Guyan Hansai" vividly shows the historical development trajectory of the Guyan area and the important duties of the border officials, and truly restores the appearance of the army in the Han Dynasty, which introduces the "waiting look" for reporting the enemy's situation, the "daily trace" system for inspecting the traces of Tiantian, the reward and punishment system for meritorious achievements, as well as the situation of weapons and equipment, the weapon management system, etc., which can not only let the audience understand the heavy and arduous work tasks of the soldiers in the border area, but also deeply feel that in the face of the invasion of the enemy army, the Guyan officials and pawns rose up to fight back. A brave performance of daring to kill the enemy.
Autumn shot Jane
"The Lonely Smoke of the Great Desert" and "Hands Don't Release Rolls" show the daily life of the border guards from the logistical support of clothing, food, and housing, as well as the study of the border officials after work, allowing us to glimpse the details of the life of the border guards 2,000 years ago.
Sick Jane
The exhibition hall is designed with a miniature scene that restores the landform of Juyan, and the decoration adopts elements such as Han Dynasty portrait bricks, portrait stones, murals and simple stalks, etc., in which the audience seems to be able to feel the magnificent and desolate border scenery, and can also query and understand the archaeological investigation and simple excavation of the Guyan area through the multimedia touch screen.
Buy Chicken Wine Jane
"Juyan Hanjian" has a total of 81 kinds of exhibits and 155 pieces. Among them, the Gansu Jianmu Museum has a total of 73 kinds of collections, 147 pieces, 48 originals and 99 imitations; The National Library has a collection of 8 titles and 8 pieces.
Other important exhibits in this part include the collection of the Gansu Jianmu Museum "Plugged Beacon Covenant" (imitation), "Analects and Knowing" (imitation), etc., and the National Library collection ""Shoulder Water Golden Pass" Jane" and "Luhai Zhao".
"Stuffed Beacon Product" was unearthed in August 1974 in the No. 16 site of the Jiaqu Waiting Officer Site, which is the Xiongnu invasion of the residence delay, according to different situations to issue alarm signals, warning methods include raising beacon fire, burning accumulated wages, etc.
Stuff the beacon about it
The first batch of more than 10,000 Han Jian found in the Guyan area in the 30s of the 20th century, most of which are now hidden in Taiwan, China. Forty or fifty pieces were scattered during this period, and there were two in the collection of the National Library, which could be identified as Juyan Hanjian according to the "Shoulder Water Golden Pass" simple text. In this feature, there is also a "Shoulder Water Golden Pass" Jane unearthed in the Juyan area in the 70s, and two "Shoulder Water Golden Pass" Janes unearthed in two batches were reunited in this exhibition.
National Library Collection ""Shoulder Water Golden Pass" Jane"
Seal book sketches were unearthed at the site of Jinguan on the shoulder water
Dunhuang Testament: The Colorful Middle Ages
The Dunhuang testament refers to the manuscripts and a small number of printed and expanded documents from the 4th to the 11th centuries found in the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, Gansu Province in 1900, with a total of more than 60,000 numbers, showing the social, economic, cultural, artistic, religious, medical and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries in the Middle Ages, and is known as the "encyclopedia of China's medieval era". The National Library has a collection of Dunhuang suicide note No. 16,579, the longest volume among major collectors in the world.
Exhibition view
Exhibition view
The topic of "Dunhuang Testament" is located in the seventh exhibition hall of the National Museum of Classics, and consists of two parts: "Dunhuang of the World" and "The World of Dunhuang".
The first part of the exhibition tells the discovery and dispersal experience of Dunhuang's testament through various forms such as memorabilia, a brief list of Dunhuang testaments collected at home and abroad, and a shadow wall of books, and reviews the protection, collation and research of Dunhuang's testaments around the world. The second part focuses on the content of the Dunhuang testament during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui and Tang dynasties, Tubo rule, and the rebel army, and briefly introduces the performance of the Dunhuang testament in Buddhism, Taoism, Manichaeism, as well as the four classics, social documents, and folk beliefs involved.
In addition, this exhibition specially organizes the binding forms of the Dunhuang testament, most of the binding forms of Chinese paper ancient books can be found in the Dunhuang testament, where the audience can see different binding forms such as scroll binding, Sanskrit clamping, warp folding, and sewing decoration.
Book 51 of the Great Wisdom
Myoho-renge-kyo-sutra Genzan Book 10
The exhibition selects Dunhuang cave patterns, Buddha statues and other elements from different periods, and adopts classic cave murals in a large area of the exhibition hall to create brilliant and magnificent Dunhuang characteristics, showing the successive ups and downs of Dunhuang's testament, integrating China and the West, and colorful medieval world. In order to display the long scroll in all directions, the exhibition uses a large number of long cabinets to let the audience see the full picture of the exhibits as much as possible. In order to enhance interaction, the exhibition hall also set up a projection knob bookcase, combining the projection with the physical bookcase, and turning the knob can obtain a simulated flipbook experience.
Exhibition view
There are a total of 49 kinds and 50 exhibits in the "Dunhuang Testament", all of which are in the National Library, and there are also some digital mural resources provided by the Dunhuang Academy.
Highlights include the Preliminary Equinox of the Four Divisions, copied on December 27, 27 of the 12th year of the founding of Western Liang (January 30, 417), which is the earliest surviving manuscript and the earliest volume of the Dunhuang testament in our museum's collection; In order to rescue the Dunhuang suicide note, in 1909, Mao Qingbo, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, presented a sample scroll of the Qing School "The Great Prajnaparamita Sutra One Hundred and Fifty-seven", which completely preserved the form of scroll-filled books.
"The First Quarter of Quarters"
Maha Prajnaparamita Sutra 157
"Reverse Assassination" embodies the divination technique that arose in the Southern and Northern Dynasties by predicting what the comer would tell and what would be auspicious; The Liling Variation of Li Ling, written during the reign of Tubo in Hainai (8th-9th centuries), is the work of the Shazhou people of Hejaz after Tubo occupied Shazhou in the second year of Tang Zhenyuan (786), which placed on the pain, sorrow, resentment, and unwillingness of the Shazhou people, and Mr. Qi Gong once compiled the proofreading; There are also the 20th year of the Sui Kai Emperor (600) manuscript "Under the Scroll of the Renwang Prajnaparamita", and the third year of Tang Longshuo (663) manuscript "Spring and Autumn Grain Liang Chuanhuan Gong II".
"Reverse Assassination"
"Li Ling's Changed Text"
Preservation and utilization of Ming and Qing Dynasty archives
The Ming and Qing Dynasty archives are multi-faceted records of the social development history of China's Ming and Qing dynasties, and are the largest and most complete ancient dynastic archives in mainland history.
Exhibition view
China's First Historical Archive now contains more than 10.67 million Ming and Qing Dynasty archives, including more than 3,800 Ming Dynasty archives, dating from the fourth year of Ming Hongwu (1371) to the seventeenth year of Chongzhen (1644). Most of the collection consists of Qing Dynasty archives, dating from the ninth year before the Mandate of Heaven (1607) to the third year of Xuantong (1911), as well as archives from Puyi's abdication before leaving the palace and when he was in Tianjin and Northeast China.
The topic of "Ming and Qing Archives" is located in the eighth exhibition hall of the National Museum of Classics, which is divided into two parts: "Tracing of Secret Files" and "Collection of Rare Files".
"Secret File Trace" mainly introduces the important part of the Ming and Qing Dynasty archives, the cabinet vault archives, and shows the arduous dispersal and reunion process of the cabinet vault archives by telling the "8,000 sacks" incident and the "Schematic Map of the Circulation of the Cabinet Vault Archives", as well as the importance and research of modern academic leaders and cultural celebrities. The exhibition specially combs "The Historical Evolution of China's First Historical Archive" and "China's First Historical Archives are selected"
Starting from the four topics of government decree documents, ancient public opinion maps, court life and historical books, "Collection of Rare Archives" selects different types of precious archives for centralized display, reflecting the irreplaceable role played by archives as a special means of governance and an important way to communicate with monarchs, officials and people, in witnessing major events, transmitting information, recording life, and recording history, showing the variety and grandeur of the Ming and Qing Dynasty archives in terms of content and shape.
"Ming and Qing Dynasty Archives" exhibits 123 exhibits of 69 kinds, including 117 exhibits of 64 types in China's First Historical Archive, 5 types and 6 pieces from the National Library.
Highlights include the Qing Dynasty gold curtain used to hold precious texts such as the emperor's hadiths and records; The only complete secret storage box in existence in the Qing Dynasty - the Daoguang Emperor's secret reserve edict and merging box (imitation); In the seventh year of the Ming Chongzhen (1634), the "General Star Map of the North and South of the Equator" (imitation) co-painted by the university scholar Xu Guangqi and the Western missionary John Tang; The small gold list (imitation) of the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the golden list of liberal arts and sciences in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (imitation), the rare books of the original cabinet of the National Library (imitation), etc.
Kim Kuai
The Daoguang Emperor secretly established an edict and annexed it
Big Gold List
At the same time as the preview of the exhibition, the National Library also combined the theme of the exhibition, and the M Metro Library, co-sponsored by BJMTR, launched the subway public welfare cultural project and launched the "Exploring the Imprint of Civilization" activity to promote and publicize at multiple MTR stations in BJMTR. Passengers entering the exhibition area from the E exit of the National Library subway station can see 11 kinds of imitations of cultural relics with the four themes of Yinxu oracle bones, Juyan Hanjian, Dunhuang suicide note, and Ming and Qing archives, such as oracle bone 12789, Juyan Hanjian's "Sword Book of Advantages and Disadvantages", Dunhuang testament "Under the scroll of the Renwang Ruoboromita Sutra", Ming and Qing Dynasty archives "Yongle Emperor's Edict", "Qianlong Emperor's New Year's Day Opening Pen", etc., which reflect each other with the large cultural relics posters in the exhibition area, bringing passengers a convenient viewing experience.
Exquisite cultural relics posters will also be presented on subway light boxes and steps along the BJMTR line, adding a touch of cultural color to public travel. Passengers can scan the QR code on the poster to view the cultural relics and exhibition details.
Metro decoration
Dunhuang's suicide note in a subway station
Oracle bone textiles on display in the subway station