The
Shaanxi History Museum is located 4 kilometers south of Xi'an, with
the Big Wild Goose Pagoda to the east. It is a magnificent architectural
complex in the Tang Dynasty style. It is the first huge state museum
with modern facilities in China, and given the reputation of "bright
pearl of ancient city, treasure house of China."
Conformed to last wish of former Primer Minister Zhou Enlai, Shaanxi
History Museum was built from 1983, and was finished on June 20th,
1991 and open to the public. The museum has an area of 65,000 square
meters, building place 55,600 square meters, cultural relics storerooms
of 8,000 square meters, exhibition halls of 11,000 square meters.
The architecture of the Museum is simple, unsophisticated, elegant
and unique in style. It combines the construction of the ancient Chinese
palaces and courtyard buildings, harmonious and graceful in hue, and
demonstrates the Chinese traditional architectural style.
Exhibits of the Museum
The museums exhibits consists of 113,000 artefacts unearthed in the
province and chronologically arranged in three exhibition halls. The
exhibits cover the Han, Wei, Jin, North and South, Sui, Tang, Song,
Yuan, Ming and Quing dynasties, as well as the prehistoric and bronze
period.The exhibition vividly and systematically depicts Shaanxi history,
ranging from 1,150,000 years ago up to the year 1840. In Chinese history,
eleven dynasties established their capitals in Shaanxi Province, lasting
more than 1000 years.The relics of Shaanxi History Museum are best
characterized and representative in Shang & Zhou bronze wares,
pottery warriors of past dynasties, Tang gold & silver wares,
mural paintings in Tang tombs, which reflected the prosperity and
development of Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang dynasties and are well-known all
over the world.
In
the Preface Hall of the museum, the massive picture show the surging
and roaring Yellow River and the Vast Loess Plateau, which are the
natural habitat of the Shaanxi residents and the cradle of Shaanxi
ancient civilization as well.
The
giant lion in the center was originally erected in front of Shunling,
the Mausoleum of the mother of Empress Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty.
Its exquisite craftsmanship and imposing look rank it the " No.1
Lion in the Orient".
There
are over 2,000 pieces of bronze wares in the museum. Quite a few of
them are national-grade rare relics, such as a bronze tripot of solid
built called "Wai Shu Ding" and a four legged bronze wine
vessel of unique shape. They have brought much influence to the field
of historical relics.
Pottery
figure is a kind of important relic which left over to us from different
dynasties in Chinese history.The unearthed pottery figures in Shaanxi
cover the dynasties from the Spring and Autumn Period down to the
Ming and Qing Dynasties.
Ever
since 1952, more than 1,000 square meters of Tang Dynasty tomb frescoes
has been taken off completely in a special method. It has gained high
admiration and fame for its quantity and excellence. Taking "Fresco
of Foreign Diplomatic Envoys, Fresco of Polo Game on Horse-backs,
Fresco of Maids of Honour" as an example, they are not only of
very high art value, but also non-fungible data of historical documents
for the study of social activities, cultural life and clothing customs
of the Tang Dynasty.
The
collection of gold and silver vessels from the Tang Dynasty in the
museum totals up to over 900 pieces, which make it the topmost museum
all over the country.
The
Museum has established a science and technology center for the preservation
of cultural relics. To promote international cultural exchanges, it
has also set up a computer-controlled, international symposium hall
where six different languages can be employed in the spontaneous interpretation.
Xian Tour Routes Covers Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
XD-2. Xian City One Day Tour
XH-1. Xian 2 Days Private Tour of Terracotta Warriors
XH-2. Xian 3 Days Package Tour
XH-3. 4 Days Organized Xian Tour of Terracotta Warrior
XH-4. 4 Days Xian Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Qianling Mausoleum
XH-5. 4 Days Xian Private Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Famen Temple
XH-6. 4 Days Xian Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Mt. Huashan
XH-7. 6 Days Xian Complete Tour
XK-1. 2 Days Xian Tour
XK-2. 3 Days Xian Tour
XK-3. Xian 4 Days Tour of Terracotta Warrior
XK-4. Xian 4 days tour of Terracotta Army and Xianyang Terracotta Museum
XK-6. Xian 4 Days Tour of Terracotta Warrior and Mt. Hua
XK-7. Xian 6 Days Private Tour
Photo of Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
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