Learning China through Relics

Cultural relics carrythe genes and bloodof Chinese nation.They cannot bereproduced and are irreplaceableoutstanding Chinese culturalresources. The Shaanxi HistoryMuseum houses more than 1.7million pieces （sets） of culturalrelics， ranging from simplestone wares used by ancienthumans to various witnesses ofcontemporary social life， witha time span of more than onemillion years. Those culturalrelics provide strong confidenceand lay a solid foundation forthe country’s first large-scalemodern museum.

These dazzling collections arefeatured with large quantity， widevariety， high taste and great value.Bronzes from the Shang （1600-1046 B.C.） and Zhou （1046-256B.C.） dynasties， which are elegantand solemn， bear witness to theflourishing of ritual and musicsystems. Pottery figurines frompast dynasties reflect colorfullives that spanned thousands ofyears and dramatical changes ofthe times. The exquisite gold andsilver wares of the Han Dynasty（202 B.C.-220 A.D.） and the TangDynasty （618-907） embellish thesplendor of the prosperous times，which is particularly fascinating.The unparalleled murals ofTang tombs reproduce themagnificence of the great times，which is breathtaking.

Xi’an， the ancient capital of13 dynasties， sitting in the WeiheRiver Plain， has witnessed thefive thousand years of Chinesecivilization， and a million yearsof human evolution. Every storyon this land and every chapter ofits history are all preserved in thecollections of the Shaanxi HistoryMuseum. They carry the memoryof Shaanxi’s history and culture，and build an art palace of ancientChinese civilization.