The Nanyang Han Dynasty Fresco Museum - a National First-Class Museum

The Nanyang Han Fresco Museum is located in the birthplace of Chu-Han culture in China - the suburbs of Nanyang City, Henan Province. It is nestled to the north against the historic site of Zhuge Liang's seclusion, the Wulonggang of Nanyang, and to the south near the Baihe scenic area of Nanyang city. With an elegant environment and beautiful scenery, it is the first museum in China dedicated to the collection, display, and research of Han Dynasty fresco carvings. The Nanyang Han Fresco Museum was established on October 10, 1935, and was rebuilt twice in 1959 and 1976. It houses over 1,500 pieces, including 150 first-class items, mainly featuring Eastern Han large-scale round sculptures - 'Tianlu, Bixie' and the Eastern Han Jian Ning three years (AD 170) 'Xu A'qu's Tomb Epitaph Fresco', which are treasures of Han Dynasty art. It is the earliest established, largest in scale, and richest in collection among the Han Dynasty fresco carving art museums in China, and is also the largest research center for Han Dynasty fresco carvings in the country. In 2000, the Nanyang Han Fresco Museum was honored as one of the 'Top Ten Exquisite Exhibitions' museums in the country, and in 2008 it was rated as one of the first batch of 'National First-Class Museums' by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. The Han frescos collected by the Nanyang Han Fresco Museum have been honored as a 'National Business Card' on multiple occasions. These Han fresco carvings are exquisitely crafted with rich content, including astronomical achievements of the Han Dynasty such as charts of the sun, moon, and stars; depictions of Han Dynasty music, dance, and acrobatics; luxurious life scenes of Han Dynasty rulers with grand mansions, carriages, and horseback riding, feasts, and games of pitch-pot; as well as depictions of the Han Dynasty ruling class's favor of Taoism, witchcraft, ascension to immortality, and mythological legends. Stepping into the Han Fresco Museum, one feels as if they have traveled back a thousand years in a daydream.