Exhibitions

An exhibition about the history of ancient China will be permanently displayed in the museum. The exhibition, which is still being prepared, will be displayed in 10 exhibition halls. Nearly 3,000 extremely precious artifacts from the Stone Age to the prosperous Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) displayed in this section will reveal the brilliance of the time-honored Chinese civilization .

On March 27, six exhibitions were opened to the public, including exhibitions of ancient China's bronze art, Buddha statues and porcelain, along with art exhibitions of Pan Tianshou (1898-1971), Li Keran (1907-89) and Huang Zhou (1925-97), well-known Chinese contemporary painters.

The most important exhibit in the bronze art exhibition is the Houmuwu Tetrapod, a rectangle bronze vessel of the late Shang Dynasty (1400-1100 B.C.) excavated in Anyang, central China's Henan Province. Formerly known as Simuwu Tetrapod, the bronze ware weighs 832.84 kg, the largest and heaviest bronze artifact in the world. It is the treasure's first appearance since being shown during the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

Archaeologists said the Houmuwu Tetrapod held special status in ancient China: It was an important vessel used during sacrificial ceremonies and a symbol of royal power. The vessel is also an invaluable bronze ware reflecting the superb skill of Chinese craftsmen during the Bronze Age.

Other state-level treasures, such as the Grand Tripod, a three-legged bronze vessel of the early Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.) and the Zilong Tripod, a round bronze ware of the Shang Dynasty, are also on display.

The Grand Tripod is the biggest Western Zhou Dynasty bronze vessel. It is about 1 meter high and weighs 153.5 kg. The ware is famous for the inscriptions on the inside of it, which includes 291 Chinese characters.

   The 2-meter-high wooden statue of Guanyin, Buddhist Goddess of Compassion, of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) is a peerless object in China's museums. Because of exquisite carving, perfect proportion and rarely-seen overall size, the elegant work is beyond comparison.

The exhibitions of ancient bronze art and Buddha statues will be displayed permanently at the museum, while the porcelain exhibition will be open until September 26, 2011, and the painting exhibitions last to June 25 this year.