The Palace Museum in Beijing has a rich and diverse collection of art treasures covering various historical periods of ancient China. Here are some recommended exhibits worth seeing:
The treasure of the town hall
1. Qianlong style Jin Ou Yonggu Cup
Introduce: This cup is Qing Dynasty Jiaqing 2 years (1797) by the Qing palace building office with the purpose to make, for the emperor New Year to hold the opening ceremony of the special wine cup.
Features: The cup is 12.5cm tall, made of pure gold, inlaid with pearls and gems, regular shape, gorgeous decoration, very royal style.
Cultural significance: Symbolizing the permanent foundation, carrying the important cultural connotation of royal etiquette, reflecting the ancient superb level of gold and silver production.
2. Pinch wire enamel wrapped branch lotus pattern like ear furnace
Introduction: Yuan Dynasty enamel treasures, full height 13.9 cm, caliber 16 cm, foot diameter 13.5 cm.
Features: The body of the furnace is blue glaze, the neck is decorated with chrysanthemum pattern, the abdomen is decorated with branch lotus pattern, the craftsmanship is exquisite, bright color and elegant.
Cultural significance: represents the highest level of enamel craft in the Yuan Dynasty, carrying the unique aesthetic and cultural connotation of that era.
3. Along the River during Qingming Festival
Introduce: Northern Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan draws long roll genre painting, width 24.8 cm, length 528.7 cm.
Features: In the form of a long volume to describe the Northern Song capital of Tokyo city and the living conditions of all classes, the picture is vivid, rich in details.
Cultural significance: It is not only an exquisite painting, but also a vivid historical record, with high historical and artistic value.
4. Reply to the post
Introduce: The handwritten note written by Lu Ji of litterer of West Jin Dynasty, the earliest celebrity ink blot in existence.
Features: The content is brief, and the calligraphy is elegant and elegant, which is a precious material for studying the changes of characters and calligraphy.
Cultural significance: It witnessed the evolution of Chinese calligraphy and had a profound influence on later generations of calligraphers.
5. Blue jade cloud dragon pattern furnace
Introduce: Song Dynasty jade, 7.9 cm high, the furnace body is made of blue jade.
Features: The texture is warm and delicate, the body is decorated with dragon, cloud and sea water patterns, and the inner bottom is engraved with Qianlong seven-character poems.
Cultural significance: It shows the exquisite craft and profound cultural connotation of jade making in Song Dynasty.
6. Queen Xiaojing of Ming Dynasty with Three dragons and two Phoenixes
Introduce: The crested crown of empress of Ming dynasty unearthed in Ming Dingling in 1956.
Features: The crested crown is elaborately made of painted bamboo silk, decorated with kingfisher feathers, gems and pearls. The craftsmanship is fine and magnificent.
Cultural significance: It reflects the luxury and delicacy of Ming Dynasty royal ornaments.
Featured exhibits
1. “Jade Comes out of Kungang — Special Exhibition of Jade Culture in the Imperial Court of Qing Dynasty” (on display)
Introduction: The exhibition selected 258 pieces of Qing Dynasty palace Hetian jade boutique, divided into “jade source”, “jade gift”, “jade elegance”, “jade clever” and “jade use” five units.
Key exhibits:
White jade Pan dragon button “Qing Dynasty ordered treasure” : Qianlong Emperor appointed the first of the twenty-five treasures, symbolizing the Qing Dynasty emperor ordered by the orthodox identity of heaven.
White jade Yueiling Group: Made of whole piece of Hotan white jade, exquisite design, can be split and combined, representing twelve months.
Green jade animal ear living ring ewing fish pattern pot: antique jade in the fine, simple shape, exquisite decoration.
2. Other permanent exhibitions
Porcelain: such as the three-color sea wrapped branch lotus grain tall bowl in the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, the enamel red group dragon grain bowl in the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, which shows the brilliant chapter of Chinese ceramic culture.
Calligraphy and painting: including Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties of calligraphy and painting works, such as Song Dynasty Fan Kuan’s “River Mountain travel Map”, Yuan Dynasty Huang Gongwang’s “Fuchun Mountain Residence Map” and so on.
Jade: In addition to the palace Hetian jade of the Qing Dynasty, there are jade pieces and jade cong of the Neolithic Age, as well as jade pieces and jade carvings of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Clock: such as painted gold pavilion self-opening group immortal birthday imperial clock, jusqu'à 1.85 meters, integration of Chinese and Western technology, complex production.
Weaving: such as the Southern Song Dynasty master Shen Zifan’s “Mei Magpie Map”, with a variety of colors of silk woven, exquisite technology, brilliant colors.
Visitor tips
Exhibition time: Special exhibitions such as “Jade out of Kungang – Qing Dynasty Court and Tian Jade Culture Special exhibition” will be held from January 7, 2025 to January 4, 2026, and other permanent exhibitions will be exhibited for a long time.
How to buy tickets: Visitors can reserve the exhibition through the “Musée du palais” mini program to book the Palace Museum ticket.
Exhibition suggestions: According to personal interests and time arrangements, reasonable planning of the tour route, focusing on the exhibits and exhibitions that you are interested in.
The Palace Museum has a dazzling array of exhibits, each of which carries rich historical and cultural connotations. Whether it is the treasure of the town hall or the special exhibition, the audience can appreciate the beauty of art and understand the broad and profound Chinese civilization.
