Beijing Treasures - Forbidden from Overseas Exhibition

A selection of precious cultural relics to pay attention to when visiting Beijing, covering national treasures of extremely high historical, artistic, and cultural value, distributed in major museums: 1. Houmuwu Ding (Shang Dynasty) 🏛Museum: National Museum of China Features: The existing king of bronzeware (weighing 875 kg), a pinnacle of Shang Dynasty sacrificial ritual vessels. The body is intricately decorated, symbolizing royal and divine power, frequently appearing in history books. 2. Siyang Fangzun (Late Shang Dynasty) 🏛Museum: National Museum of China Features: An exemplary Shang Dynasty bronze vessel, shaped with four curled-horn sheep, integrating line engraving, relief carving, and round carving techniques, showcasing the superb casting technology of the Shang Dynasty. 3. Pottery Eagle Ding (Yangshao Culture) 🏛Museum: National Museum of China Features: A rare pottery art piece from the Neolithic Age, shaped like a standing eagle with a simple and honest appearance, nicknamed "the strolling old man" by netizens, and once appeared as a "bidding ambassador" for the Olympics. 4. Along the River During the Qingming Festival (Northern Song Dynasty) ⛪Museum: Palace Museum Features: No need for much description, Zhang Zeduan's masterpiece vividly depicts the daily life of Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Palace Museum exhibits the authentic work irregularly (mostly replicas are on permanent display), so it's a matter of luck. 5. Wooden Sculpture of Water-Moon Guanyin (Southern Song Dynasty) 🏛Museum: National Museum of China Features: This painted wooden Guanyin Bodhisattva statue is a fine example of Song Dynasty wooden Bodhisattva statues. Standing 200 cm tall, the Bodhisattva has downcast eyes, a high bun, and wears a jeweled crown. 6. Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown of Empress Xiaoduan (Ming Dynasty) 🏛Museum: National Museum of China Features: An internet-famous relic - the Nine Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown of Empress Xiaoduan. The front is decorated with nine golden dragons, each holding a pearl drop in its mouth, below which are eight kingfisher feather gold phoenixes. There is also a golden phoenix at the back, making a total of nine dragons and nine phoenixes.