Henan Museum - Treasures of Central Plains of China

The permanent exhibition of Henan Museum is "light of ancient civilization in Central Plains". The exhibition is distributed in eight exhibition rooms on the first and second floors of the main exhibition hall. It shows Henan's historical relics from prehistoric times to Ming and Qing Dynasties. The exhibition is composed of preface hall, "dawn of civilization" (primitive society period), "three generations of glory" (Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties), "cultural inclusiveness" (Han, Wei, Jin, Southern, and Northern Dynasties), "prosperous age" (Sui and Tang Dynasties), and "Dimming light" (song, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties). It collects about 2000 exquisite cultural relics unearthed in Henan and displays them according to the historical development, the most outstanding achievement of ancient culture, and science and technology happened in Henan Province. Besides this main permanent exhibition, there are other four permanent themed exhibitions, namely Central Plains Chu Bronze Art, Henan ancient jade, and Ming and Qing treasures.

• Central Plains Chu Bronze Art: The collections of the exhibition are exquisite bronzes unearthed from the noble cemetery of Chu state in Xichuan County, Henan Province. The magnificent decoration and inscriptions of the bronze ware are important objects for the study of the history of the Chu state. The exquisite craftsmanship is amazing. Among the bronze wares, "WangSunGao's chimes" is the most outstanding bronze collection, as well as a large number of 2500-year-old instruments.

• Ming and Qing Treasures: Ancient Chinese arts and crafts have a long history, unique style, outstanding achievements, and enjoy a high reputation in the world. The crafts of porcelain making, embroidery, ivory carving, lacquerware, enamelware, and gold and silver wares have entered a thriving period in the Ming and Qing Dynasty. They had high aesthetic value and showed the extraordinary wisdom and astonishing skills of ancient Chinese craftsmen.

• Henan Ancient Jades: The Chinese people is a nation loving jades. Chinese jade carving art has been developing for eight thousand years and has been continuously developing for a long time. In ancient China, jade was an important tool for worshipping ghosts and gods; it was a material symbol of power and status; it was a burial tool for pursuing immortality and preserving corpses. The jade objects unearthed in the central plains are mostly refined products of ancient works.

The Jiahu Bone Flute

• Neolithic Age (6000-2000B.C.)
• Unearthed at Wuyang, Henan Province
• Height: 23.6cm
The Jiahu Bone Flute collected by Henan Museum is complete in shape. Among the more than 30 Jiahu Bone flutes discovered so far, the Jiahu bone flute can be regarded as the representative work of "the first flute in China". Jiahu Bone Flute is not only the earliest musical instrument in China but also the earliest instrument that can be played in the world. Experiments show that Jiahu Bone Flute can not only play traditional five-tone or seven tone music. Its excavation rewrites the music history of the pre-Qin Dynasty and even the whole history of Chinese music.

"Fuhao" Owl-shaped bronze Zun, wine container

• Late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046B.C.)
• Unearthed at Anyang, Henan
• Height: 45.9cm
• Mouth diameter: 16.4cm
The Zun was excavated at the Fuhao tomb of the Yin ruins. Fuhao was the wife of King Wuding of the Shang Dynasty. When her tomb was excavated in 1976, as many as 468 pieces of bronzeware were discovered. They give convincing evidence of the highly developed bronze civilization of the Shang Dynasty.

"Prince Wu" Ding (with a spoon)

• Spring and Autumn Period (770-476B.C.)
• Unearthed at Xichuan, Henan
• Height: 62cm
• Mouth diameter: 62cm
Ding, food container, often comes with a spoon. The spoon has a long handle and a sharp tip and is used for picking the meat out of the food vessel. Prince Wu was the son of KingZhuang of the Chu state. The inscription in the lid and on the inside of the vessel consists of 83 characters and says that"Prince Wu casts this food vessel for offering sacrifices to our ancestor and for swearing ceremonies of forming an alliance. Because of my benevolent rule, I am loved and respected by all the people of the Chu State. It is hoped that the later generations will regard this as the standard of their conduct and behavior."

White Jade Dancer-shaped Pei-pendant

• Western Han Dynasty (206B.C.- 25A.D.)
• Unearthed at Yongcheng, Henan
• Length: 4.6cm
• Width: 2.5cm
The pair of pei-pendant are carved in openwork, occasionally also used the lines in intaglio. The figures, carved with superb craftsmanship, look gracefully charming. They are the typical jade articles of the Han dynasty.

Ivory Radish

• Qing dynasty (1616-1911A.D.)
• Length: 27 cm
This piece is made of carved ivory. The transition in the coloration of this work is very natural, beginning with red at the top, gradually turning pink in the midsection, and eventually turning white at the tip. The mid and lower section of the radish has nine hairy roots. A green long-horned grasshopper has been carved at the point where the stem and leaves meet the flesh of the radish.

Recommended Henan Tour

☛ 2 Days Shaolin Kung Fu Tour from Zhengzhou

☛ 3 Days Shaolin Temple Longmen Grottoes Tour from Zhengzhou

Henan Museum is in the northern downtown area, about 5km to the city center of Zhengzhou. The nearest metro station is GuanHuTun station (关虎屯) of Line 2, within 10mins' biking distance.

◣ Address: 河南省郑州市金水区农业路8号, No.8 Nongye Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province

• 5 km from Erqi Square

• 6 km from Zhengzhou Railway Station

• 13 km from Zhengzhou East Railway Station

• 38 km from Zhengzhou Airport

About 90km from Zhengzhou, Shaolin Temple is one of the most important Buddhist temples as well as a Must-visit attraction in Henan. It is widely known home and abroad for its Shaolin Kung Fu, longstanding Zen Buddhism Culture and many related Kung Fu movies, TV series, documentaries, etc. If you have a dream of Kung Fu, you must visit Shaolin Temple once in a lifetime. Here you can join in Real Kung Fu Class, enjoy spectacular Kung Fu Show, appreciate impressive Buddhist temples. You can easily get to Shaolin Temple from Zhengzhou or Luoyang in Henan Province.>>Read More

Longmen Grottoes

Rich in thousands of grottoes, countless Buddhists and inscriptions, Longmen Grottoes (Longmen Caves) is known as the Buddhist Art Treasure and one of the three most famous Grottoes in China with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in Gansu and Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi. With its outstanding Buddha complex and extraordinary artistic creativity, Longmen Grottoes was list as UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.>>Read More

Recommended Henan Tour

☛ 5 Days Henan Cultural Tour

☛ 6 Days Ancient Xian & Henan Tour

With convenient flight and train network, Zhengzhou is more used as a transport hub in Henan. Usually, tourists make a Shaolin Temple day tour via Zhengzhou, visit the Pagoda Forest and main temple architectures and closely watch a wonderful Shaolin Kung Fu show in a leisured pace or leave half day for a Mount Song hiking trip. (If you and your kids are interested in long-term Chinese Kung Fu training class near Shaolin Temple, you can contact us to get the best recommendations.) Luoyang is another hotspot on a Henan tour bucket list. One day is suitable for visiting the top two sites, the Longmen Grottoes - a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage and the World’s biggest Buddhist cave treasury with thousands of stone carvings, and China’s first Buddhist temple - White Horse Temple. In early days of April and early May, tourists have chance to enjoy an eye-pleasing blossom of Peony Festival in Luoyang.

☛ 2 Days Shaolin Temple Tour from Zhengzhou
☛ 3 Days Shaolin Temple Longmen Grottoes Tour from Zhengzhou
☛ 3 Days Shaolin Temple Mount Song Hiking Tour with Luoyang Highlights

As one of the cradles of Chinese Civilization, Henan retains many profound cultural heritages and natural spectacles. If time and personal interests allow, you may visit more wonderful places, such as Yuntai Mountain with stunning canyon landscape of Taihang Mountain, ancient capital of Kaifeng, miraculous Guoliang Village on the sheer cliff, Yin Dynasty Ruins with interesting Oracle Bone Inscriptions, etc. Beyond Henan, China presents its diverse culture, history and city charm in different regions, and Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Chengdu are top destinations to travel with Henan.

☛ 5 Days Henan Culture Tour from Zhengzhou to Luoyang & Kaifeng
☛ 6 Days Henan Highlights Tour (Zhengzhou/Anyang/Kaifeng/Dengfeng/Luoyang)
☛ 8 Days China Ancient Capitals Tour with Shaolin Temple (Beijing/Luoyang/Xian)
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Travel with China Discovery

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