National Museum of China
Encyclopedia
The National Museum of China flanks the eastern side of Tiananmen Square
in Beijing
, China
. The mission of the museum is to educate about the arts and history of China. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture
of the People's Republic of China
.
opened its doors in 1959 and had its origins in the Beijing National History Museum, founded in 1949, and the prior Preliminary Office of the National History Museum from 1912.
The building was completed in 1959 commensurate with the ten-year celebration of Communist
rule. It complements the opposing Great Hall of the People
that was built at the same time. The structure sits on 65,000 ㎡ and has a frontal length of 313 meters, a height of four stories totaling 40 meters, and a width of 149 meters. The front displays eleven square pillars at its center.
After four years of renovation, the museum reopened on March 17th, 2011 with 28 new exhibition halls and more than triple the previous exhibition space and state of the art exhibition facilities and storage. It will have a total floor space of nearly 191,900 square meters with more than a million national treasures in its collection. The renovations were designed by the German firm Gerkan, Marg and Partners
.
The Museum of Chinese History covers Chinese history from the Yuanmou Man
of 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty
(the last imperial dynasty).
The National Museum of China contains over 620,385 cultural items in its permanent art collection, and the museum displays many precious and rare Chinese historical artifacts that are not found in many other museums in China and around the world.
Some of the most important collections at the National Museum of China are the "Simuwu Ding
" (a form of vessel) from the Shang Dynasty
, which was cast over 3,000 years ago and weighing 832.84 kg
, and it is the heaviest ancient bronze ware in the world; the Shang Dynasty square bronze "Zun" (wine vessel) decorated with four sheep heads, a large rare inscribed Western Zhou Dynasty
(11th century BC - 771 BC) bronze Pan, gold-inlaid bronze tally in the shape of a tiger from the Qin Dynasty
, a Han Dynasty
(206 BC - 220 AD) jade burial suit
sewn with gold thread, and a comprehensive collection of tri-colored glazed sancai
of the Tang Dynasty
and ceramics from the Song Dynasty
.
in 1999 and the third clock counted down towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On the fourth occasion it was used, the clock counted down towards the opening of Expo 2010 Shanghai China.
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The mission of the museum is to educate about the arts and history of China. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Culture is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which is responsible for culture policy and activities in the country, including managing national museums and monuments; Astroturfing and promoting government policies; promoting and protecting the arts The...
of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
History
The museum was re-organized in 2003 out of two separate museums that already occupied the building: the Museum of the Chinese Revolution in the northern wing and the National Museum of Chinese History in the southern wing. The Museum of the Chinese Revolution had been open since 1959 and had its origins in the Office of the National Museum of the Revolution, founded in 1950. The National Museum of Chinese HistoryHistory of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
opened its doors in 1959 and had its origins in the Beijing National History Museum, founded in 1949, and the prior Preliminary Office of the National History Museum from 1912.
The building was completed in 1959 commensurate with the ten-year celebration of Communist
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
rule. It complements the opposing Great Hall of the People
Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People is located at the western edge of Tiananmen Square, Beijing, People's Republic of China, and is used for legislative and ceremonial activities by the People's Republic of China and the Communist Party of China. It functions as the People's Republic of China's...
that was built at the same time. The structure sits on 65,000 ㎡ and has a frontal length of 313 meters, a height of four stories totaling 40 meters, and a width of 149 meters. The front displays eleven square pillars at its center.
After four years of renovation, the museum reopened on March 17th, 2011 with 28 new exhibition halls and more than triple the previous exhibition space and state of the art exhibition facilities and storage. It will have a total floor space of nearly 191,900 square meters with more than a million national treasures in its collection. The renovations were designed by the German firm Gerkan, Marg and Partners
Gerkan, Marg and Partners
Gerkan, Marg and Partners is an architectural company based in Hamburg, Germany. The company was founded in 1965, and now has 400 employees in 10 offices.-Awards:...
.
Collections
Yuanmou Man
Yuanmou Man , Homo erectus yuanmouensis, refers to a member of the homo genus whose remnants, two incisors, were discovered near Danawu Village in Yuanmou County in southwestern province of Yunnan, China. Later, stone artifacts, pieces of animal bone showing signs of human work and ash from...
of 1.7 million years ago to the end of the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(the last imperial dynasty).
The National Museum of China contains over 620,385 cultural items in its permanent art collection, and the museum displays many precious and rare Chinese historical artifacts that are not found in many other museums in China and around the world.
Some of the most important collections at the National Museum of China are the "Simuwu Ding
Ding (vessel)
A ding is an ancient Chinese cauldron with legs, a lid and two handles opposite each other. They were made in two shapes with round vessels having three legs and rectangular ones four....
" (a form of vessel) from the Shang Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
, which was cast over 3,000 years ago and weighing 832.84 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
, and it is the heaviest ancient bronze ware in the world; the Shang Dynasty square bronze "Zun" (wine vessel) decorated with four sheep heads, a large rare inscribed Western Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
(11th century BC - 771 BC) bronze Pan, gold-inlaid bronze tally in the shape of a tiger from the Qin Dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
, a Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(206 BC - 220 AD) jade burial suit
Jade burial suit
A Jade burial suit is a ceremonial suit made of pieces of jade in which royal members in Han Dynasty China were buried.-Structure of a jade burial suit:...
sewn with gold thread, and a comprehensive collection of tri-colored glazed sancai
Sancai
Sancai is a type of ceramics using three intermingled colors for decoration.-Technique:The body of Sancai ceramics was made of white clay, coated with a layer of glaze, and fired at a temperature of 800 degrees Celsius. Sancai is a type of lead-glazed pottery: lead oxide was the principal flux in...
of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
and ceramics from the Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
.
Other usage
Because of its central location in Tiananmen Square, the front of the museum has been used since the 1990s for the display of countdown clocks relating to occasions of national importance. The first such clock counted down towards the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. The second counted down towards the transfer of sovereignty of MacauTransfer of sovereignty of Macau
The transfer of sovereignty of Macau from the Portuguese Republic to the People's Republic of China occurred on 20 December 1999. Portuguese merchants settled in Macau and governed themselves since the time of the Ming Dynasty , first establishing a foothold in 1535, though Portugal's involvement...
in 1999 and the third clock counted down towards the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On the fourth occasion it was used, the clock counted down towards the opening of Expo 2010 Shanghai China.
See also
- Forbidden CityForbidden CityThe Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
- National Palace MuseumNational Palace MuseumThe National Palace Museum is an art museum in Taipei. It is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of...
- State Administration of Cultural HeritageState Administration of Cultural HeritageState Administration of Cultural Heritage is an administrative agency subordinate to the Ministry of Culture. It is responsible for relics and managing museums on mainland China...
- Ministry of CultureMinistry of Culture of the People's Republic of ChinaThe Ministry of Culture is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which is responsible for culture policy and activities in the country, including managing national museums and monuments; Astroturfing and promoting government policies; promoting and protecting the arts The...