Inheriting the Qin and Han Dynasties and ushering in the Sui and Tang Dynasties｜Hebei Cixian Northern Dynasties Archaeological Museum

[The Autumn of Troubled Times·Northern Dynasties·Succeeding the Qin and Han Dynasties and ushering in the Sui and Tang Dynasties] There are two eras of division and war in Chinese history, one is the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the other is the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The Southern and Northern Dynasties are further divided into the Southern Dynasties and the Northern Dynasties (Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou). As the name suggests, the Northern Dynasties were basically located in most of northern China and lasted for more than 200 years. A large number of Eastern Wei and Northern Qi tombs were discovered in Linzhang County and Ci County in Hebei Province today. Among them, the two high-level aristocratic tombs excavated in Ci County, the Tomb of Princess Ruru and the Wanzhang Tomb (presumed to be the tomb of Emperor Gao Yang of the Northern Qi Dynasty), have unearthed the most cultural relics. From the Yecheng Archaeological Museum in Linzhang County, we rushed to Ci County to visit the Northern Dynasties Archaeological Museum, which are not far from each other. The museum mainly collects pottery figurines, murals, gold and silver wares, Wei steles and tomb inscriptions from the Northern Dynasties tombs excavated in Ci County. The museum is large and impressive, but the collections are rather monotonous, consisting mainly of various pottery figurines unearthed from Gao Yang's Tomb (Wanzhang Tomb), known as the "Little Terracotta Warriors", and gold ornaments unearthed from Princess Ruru's Tomb (the museum's treasure), which are very small and very, very beautiful. Two Roman gold coins are also the treasures of the museum. There is also a mural hall that has not been opened. It houses a replica of the murals from the Wanzhang Tomb, restored at a 1:1 ratio. It is the pinnacle of Northern Dynasties murals. The originals have been collected in the Hebei Museum. Tips1: The gold openwork inlaid floral and flying ornament - the museum's treasure, was unearthed from Princess Ruru's tomb and was an ornament on Princess Ruru's hat. There is an image of a flying fairy on the lower right and an image of a lotus boy on the upper left, which are extremely exquisite. Byzantine gold coins (two pieces) - the treasure of the museum, unearthed from the tomb of Princess Ruru, are physical evidence of the exchanges between the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi dynasties and the West through the Rouran. One of the coins has a bust of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I on the front, and the other has a bust of Justinian I on the back. Both coins have a bust of the goddess of victory on the back. These two gold coins indirectly illustrate the important role of Ci County on the ancient Silk Road. At that time, Ci County, which was close to Yecheng, was an important node on the Silk Road. Starting from here, passing through Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and other places, along the Silk Road, all the way to ancient Rome. 1,500 years ago, two gold coins traveled thousands of miles from the Mediterranean to Hebei, which was a miracle created by the Silk Road. Tips2: The 52-meter-long corridor murals at the Wuning Mausoleum (Zhangwan) of the Northern Qi Emperor Gao Yang (550–559) are the most exquisite Northern Dynasties murals ever discovered, featuring the emperor’s special procession, auspicious birds and beasts, flowing clouds and lotus flowers. The Zhangwan murals represent the highest level of painting art in the Northern Dynasties. Archaeologists cut them out intact and now keep them in the Hebei Museum. They are a national first-class cultural relic and one of the ten treasures of the Hebei Museum. A complete replica is on display at the Northern Dynasties Archaeological Museum. 📝Note tips: Free admission, entry with ID card