Qingzhou Museum: The treasure of the museum, the beauty that shocks

In 1887 (the 13th year of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty), the British missionary J.S. White wright set up a museum in the Peizhen Academy in Qingzhou, which housed natural specimens, car and electric motor models, etc., for public viewing. This was one of the early museums in China and marked the beginning of the construction of museums in Qingzhou. Qingzhou Museum has three major treasures: Zhao Bingzhong's top scholar scroll from the Ming Dynasty, the Eastern Han 'Yi Zi Sun' jade bi, and the Buddhist statues from Longxing Temple. In the 26th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Zhao Bingzhong from Qingzhou became the top scholar in the palace examination. The scroll is 2460 characters long, written in small regular script of the Hanlin Academy. The first page of the examination paper is topped with six characters from Emperor Wanli's own hand, stating 'First Rank, First Place'. This is the only surviving palace examination scroll from the Ming Dynasty and earlier that is known today, and it is considered a unique treasure both domestically and abroad. The Eastern Han 'Yi Zi Sun' jade bi: It is the only large Han Dynasty jade bi with Chinese characters in domestic collections. Only three 'Yi Zi Sun' jade bi from the Han Dynasty have been found nationwide, and the one in Qingzhou Museum is made of top-quality Hetian jade. It is the most complete, largest, and finest quality piece with the highest artistic value discovered so far. The Buddhist statues from Longxing Temple: In 1996, more than 400 statues were unearthed from the Longxing Temple site in Qingzhou, spanning nearly 500 years from the Northern Wei to the Northern Song Dynasty. The abundance of statues, the variety of types, and the high quality of carving have been called a miracle by the academic community. The most soul-stirring aspect is the mysterious smile of the Qingzhou Buddha statues, known as the 'Smile of Qingzhou', which has amazed both China and the world. Especially notable is the armless bodhisattva, known as the 'Venus of the East', with a resplendent robe, glittering gold ornaments, and a plump, round face that bears a naturally charming smile (images 7 and 8). The last image is of the Ming Dynasty stone lion in front of the old Qingzhou Museum building.