REVIEW: 'Ancient China' Exhibit at the National Museum of China

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Set in the imposing building on the east side of Tian'anmen Square, you might not find the National Museum of China very appealing at first glance. But step inside and you'll be greeted by the amazing spectacle of not only the building itself but the objects it contains: priceless relics representing many thousands of years of history. The museum hosts lots of exhibitions year-round, some permanent, some temporary. One of the most popular is the 'Ancient China' exhibit, a look at some of the most famous finds ever made in Chinese archaeology. Read on to find out more about our visit and what we thought!

Pottery vessel in the shape of an eagle from Shaanxi. Yangshao Culture (5000 - 3000 years ago).

Bronze mask from Sanxingdui, Sichuan. Shang Dynasty (1600 - 1046 BC).

Getting There

Book tickets for the museum through their WeChat mini-program (中国国家博物馆) or online (go here for links to both; Chinese only). Book well in advance as it's a very popular tourist destination, but the exhibition itself is permanent so don't worry about missing it! Since the museum is located at Tian'anmen Square there is no access apart from on foot, so we suggest walking from a nearby area like Wangfujing or taking the subway (Tian'anmen East exit C). You'll need your passport to exit the subway station and again to enter the museum. The exhibition gets very crowded so we suggest going early in the day on a weekday if possible.

Rhinoceros shaped vessel from Shaanxi. Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 8 AD).

Pottery story-teller from Sichuan. Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD).

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The exhibition

The exhibition is clearly signed once you enter the museum. It's arranged chronologically in eight parts and includes more than 2000 incredible items, which can feel overwhelming at times, especially with the crowds of people. Given the length and richness of Chinese history we can't really see how they could have slimmed this exhibition down though! We allowed 3 hours for our visit, but even that wasn't enough to see and appreciate the significance of all the items. Each exhibit has a basic English description and provenance with it, and a QR code to scan for more information (in Chinese but if you scan with WeChat you can translate it). There's also an 2-hour English audio guide available through the mini-program. 

Yellow-glazed porcelain flask from Henan. Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577 AD).

We went to the exhibition with Jennifer Pan, who offers English guided tours of the exhibition that focus on selected items. Not only did she take the hassle out of booking the tickets, but she gave a lot of interesting information about some of the items that we wouldn't have known through just scanning the QR code or listening to the museum's audio guide. For example, if you're tall enough to see inside the eagle pot (the first photo in this article) you'll see a pair of white gloves inside left by the curators right before it was encased in glass! Just goes to show - everyone makes mistakes! But we would never have noticed this fun detail if Jenny hadn't pointed it out.

If you're someone who gets overwhelmed and bored by museums easily, then we definitely recommend one of Jenny's tours. Contact Jenny on WeChat (ID: pandapanjin) for more information. If you like to go at your own pace and want to see more of the items in the exhibition then we recommend going by yourself. 

Dumplings and other snacks preserved in the desert climate of Xinjiang on serving plates. Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD).

Empress Xiaoduan's Phoenix Coronet from the Dingling Mausoleum, Beijing. Ming Dynasty reign of Emperor Wanli (19 July 1572 – 18 August 1620).

Final Thoughts

This exhibition is a must-see for anyone interested in Chinese history and culture, as it contains the highlights from archaeological excavations - mainly of tombs - around the country and gives a broad overview of Chinese history from the standpoint of stone, bronze and ceramic objects. There are very few paper or silk historical documents or paintings, even in the later periods. The exhibition mainly focuses on the 'big finds' from the tombs of the elite, rather than the smaller items used by ordinary people, so it's important to keep in mind that the vast majority of Chinese people throughout history would never have interacted with objects like the ones presented here. With all that said, this exhibition is an enthralling look at the incredible skills and rich spiritual life of the ancient Chinese, and we highly recommend visiting.

Have you visited this exhibition? Let us know in the comments section on our website (click the read more button below), or on our social media pages on Facebook (@CulturalKeysChina) or Instagram (@CulturalKeys). We always love hearing from you!

Photo Credits

- Cultural Keys

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