Shaanxi History Museum: How Ancient is Shaanxi? How Brilliant Were the Han and Tang Dynasties?

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Recommended reading: (Cradle of Chinese Civilization)

Shanxi: How ancient is Shanxi?

Henan: How ancient is Henan?

How ancient is Shaanxi?

King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, established the Western Zhou, and set the capital at Haojing (near present-day Doumen Town in southwest Xi'an). The Duke of Zhou assisted in governance, created rites and music, and enfeoffed vassals to screen and protect the Zhou.

This happened three thousand years ago, but given "China's five thousand years of history," three millennia may not seem so ancient.

Five thousand years ago, ancestors living in Yangguanzhai in Gaoling, Lushanmao in Yan'an, and Shenmu County in Yulin, Shaanxi, successively created the Yangshao culture and Longshan culture, with painted pottery emerging and jade discs shining.

These cultural relics have been found along the middle and lower Yellow River in Gansu, Shanxi, Henan, and elsewhere, marking the dawn of civilization, yet still not representing the full antiquity of Shaanxi.

1.15 million years ago, Lantian County in Shaanxi was already home to primitive people who could use fire and make simple stone tools; they are the oldest known Homo erectus in northern Asia—the Lantian Man. At that time, the Guanzhong region was warm and humid, a cradle for human evolution and development.

(Lantian Man model in the Shaanxi History Museum)

(Replica of the Lantian Man skull)

Shaanxi is not only ancient, but also one of the regions with the most capitals in Chinese history. Among them, Xi'an, the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, is world-famous for the mighty Han and the magnificent Tang, still a golden age that fills Chinese with pride and foreigners with longing.

How brilliant were the Han and Tang?

Emperor Wu of Han pacified the Xiongnu in the north, conquered the Baiyue in the south, opened up the Western Regions, and pioneered the Silk Road, ushering in the "Han Wu Prosperity" with submissive neighboring states and a booming economy.

("Horse Trampling a Xiongnu" stone carving in the Shaanxi History Museum: This was placed in front of the tomb of Huo Qubing, the Han general of the Piaoyi Army, symbolizing his and the Western Han's military triumphs over the Xiongnu.)

Emperor Taizong of Tang knew how to employ talented people, expanded the territory, excelled in both civil governance and military might, and his prestige spread far and wide, earning him the title "Heavenly Khagan" from various tribal chieftains. He forged the "Reign of Zhenguan" with envoys coming from all nations to pay tribute and achievements lasting for millennia.

(Three-color glazed camel carrying musicians in the Shaanxi History Museum: Seven musicians in Han costume hold different foreign instruments, with a singing woman in the middle, epitomizing the openness, inclusiveness, and peace of the Tang Dynasty.)

Today's article will take you into the Shaanxi History Museum, where through exquisite artifacts, you can feel the antiquity and glory of Shaanxi.

Shaanxi is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River in China's heartland. It features the vast, rugged Loess Plateau, the flat and expansive Guanzhong Plain, and the towering Qinba Mountains. With strategic passes and rich resources, it is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization.

"Since ancient times, Qin has been the land of emperors." Shaanxi has also been the central stage of ancient Chinese history, with 14 dynasties establishing their capitals here. Among them, Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang created world-leading civilizations, making these the most glorious periods in Chinese history, with enduring influence stretching far.

Shaanxi is also a meeting point of Eastern and Western cultures. During the Western Han, the thoroughfare through the Western Regions was opened, giving birth to the Silk Road, where Chinese and foreign cultures collided and fused through trade. By the Tang Dynasty, the capital Chang'an was open-minded and all-embracing, becoming a cosmopolitan metropolis with visitors from all corners and roads leading from all directions. The brilliance of Han and Tang was admired worldwide.

Let's begin this historical journey from prehistoric times.

The Wei River, a major tributary of the Yellow River flowing through Shaanxi, had traces of primitive humans along its banks over a million years ago. More than 300,000 years ago, ancestors living in Dali County had learned to use stone tools and lived by hunting and gathering.

(Replica of Dali Man skull, original unearthed in Duanjia Village, Dali County, Weinan)

Around 8,000 to 7,000 years ago, people in the Wei River basin learned to cultivate millet crops and raise poultry, leading a settled life. By then, pottery making had begun, and painted pottery was in its infancy.

(Neolithic stone tools belonging to the Laoguantai Culture)

From 7,000 to 5,000 years ago, the Yangshao Culture, represented by painted pottery, emerged along the Yellow River. Over 2,000 Yangshao sites have been found within Shaanxi, making it the core area of the Yangshao era.

(Basin with human face and fish motifs: belongs to Banpo Culture, a masterpiece of Neolithic painted pottery. It was a burial vessel for a child, with a small hole at the bottom, believed by ancients to allow the soul to pass through. The inner wall depicts a human face surrounded by fish, conveying blessings for the deceased and affection for the young.)

(Hollow vessel with human face and inverted basin shape: belongs to Miaodigou Culture)

(Owl-face pottery lid: belongs to Miaodigou Culture)

(Flower-patterned human-head-shaped mouth painted pottery vase: belongs to Miaodigou Culture)

(Dragon-pattern painted pottery bowl: belongs to Miaodigou Culture)

(Neolithic boat-shaped pot)

(Neolithic frog-pattern pottery cauldron)

Around 5,000 to 4,000 years ago, in the late Neolithic, China began to step onto the threshold of civilized society. City settlements proliferated along the Yellow River, and early states commonly emerged. Sites like Shimao in Shenmu, northern Shaanxi, mark the arrival of the ancient state period—the Longshan era.

(Neolithic large jar with two handles)

Examining the painted pottery above, most are decorated with fish, birds, and flowers. Fish and bird motifs are distinct markers of Banpo and Miaodigou cultures, and their interaction on pottery subtly hints at the interplay between the Yan and Huang emperors in the Yellow River basin. Some pottery shows fish overpowering birds, others the reverse, symbolizing the alternating dominance in Huaxia society. Later, fish and bird merged, blossoming into flowers, becoming the most representative motif of the later Miaodigou Culture. This suggests that after bloody conflicts, the two great tribes achieved integration, forming the earliest imprint of the Huaxia nation. Some experts believe that the "flower" pattern may be the origin of the name "Huaxia" (the Chinese nation).

In the late prehistoric period, productivity and material accumulation led to the establishment of the three Bronze Age dynasties—Xia, Shang, and Zhou. Although the Xia and Shang dynasties had their capitals in present-day Henan, numerous Shang bronze vessels have been discovered within Shaanxi, indicating the coverage of Shang culture across the region. The advanced Shang culture laid an economic and material foundation for the rise of the Zhou tribe in the Zhouyuan area during the late Shang.

(Shang dynasty yue battle-axe)

(Late Shang double-headed centipede-pattern ge dagger-axe)

The ancestor of the Zhou tribe was Hou Ji, who initially lived by farming in Tai (now Yangling District, Shaanxi). Later, Gong Liu (another leader) resided in Bin (around Xunyi and Binxian in present-day Shanxi), and the tribe began to prosper.

In the 12th century BC, during the reign of Shang King Wuyi, Gugong Danfu moved to Zhouyuan (present-day Fufeng and Qishan area in Baoji, Shaanxi), built city walls and palaces, and set up governing institutions. The Zhou people absorbed the essence of Shang culture, created a splendid pre-Zhou civilization, and grew into a powerful vassal state west of Shang.

After a century of development, under King Wen (Ji Chang), Zhou had become a hegemon holding "two-thirds of the world under Shang's rule." In 1046 BC, King Wu overthrew Shang, established the Western Zhou Dynasty, and made Haojing (also called Zongzhou, now Chang'an District in Xi'an) the capital.

After King Wu's death, his brother, the Duke of Zhou (Ji Dan), assisted the young King Cheng, put down rebellions by royal clans and eastern states, built the eastern capital Luoyi (i.e., Chengzhou, present-day Luoyang, Henan), and summarized ancient political and historical lessons. With "zhong" (centrality/moderate) as the basic principle, he established the system of succession by the eldest son born of the main wife, forming the main lineage (Dazong). Other sons could be enfeoffed to found states as vassals, becoming branch lineages (Xiaozong), though they were main lineages within their own fiefs. This created a concentric hierarchical structure of Son of Heaven, vassals, ministers, officials, scholar-officials, commoners, artisans, merchants, and slaves, each tier guarding the Son of Heaven like stars revolving around the North Celestial Pole, described as "screening and protecting the Zhou."

"As names differ, so do rites." Different ranks held different rights to perform sacrifices. Sacrifice was not just a pure ritual form but a symbol of status. Ritual vessels had strict distinctions in shape, decoration, size, quantity, and assemblage to indicate the owner's identity and rank. Hence Confucius said: "Vessels conceal ritual; ritual enacts righteousness."

The Western Zhou established a powerful kingship system. The Duke of Zhou instituted rites and music, leading to highly developed ritual systems that profoundly influenced later generations, earning China its reputation as a land of propriety.

(Stone chime: unearthed in Fufeng County, Baoji)

(Five-sacrifice "Haifu" bell: unearthed in Fufeng, Baoji)

(Duoyou cauldron: one of the museum's treasures, from Doumen Town, Chang'an District; its inner wall bears a 279-character inscription detailing how General Duoyou led troops to resist Xianyun incursions along the Jing River basin during the reign of King Li of Zhou, making it an important Western Zhou vessel)

(Li square zun: unearthed in Lijia Village, Meixian, Baoji)

(Ox-shaped zun: from Hejia Village, Qishan County, Baoji, with vigorous and vivid modelling and elegant, flowing decoration, a fine example of Western Zhou bronze art)

(Xi zun: unearthed in Shigushan, Baoji)

(Boge you: unearthed in Baoji)

(Bronze figurine: unearthed in Baoji)

(Da Yu ding: unearthed in Meixian, Baoji, a national treasure prohibited from overseas exhibition; the one in Shaanxi History Museum is a replica, the original is in the National Museum of China)

(Riji gong: from Qijia Village, Fufeng County, Baoji, a drinking vessel. The inscription on the lid indicates it was cast as a ritual vessel for the deceased father, Riji. Its shape and decoration are extremely gorgeous, dignified yet grand, combining animal masks, kui-dragons, birds, and tigers on one piece without clutter, well-composed and clearly prioritized, a classic of Western Zhou bronzework)

(Ta he: unearthed in Qijia Village, Fufeng County, Baoji. The lid interior bears the maker's name "Ta," hence the name. The Zhou used he and pan together; before banquets or after meals, they performed the hand-washing ritual: the he poured water, and the pan caught the used water.)

(Four-legged palette mixer: from Hejia Village, Qishan County, Baoji)

In 771 BC, Haojing was breached by the Quanrong, King You of Zhou was killed, and the Western Zhou fell. The next year, King Ping moved east, establishing the capital at Luoyi, known as the Eastern Zhou.

(The Huaqing Palace scenic area at the foot of Mount Li in Lintong, Xi'an, where King You infamously "lit beacon fires to tease the vassals," leading to no rescue when enemies came.)

The Eastern Zhou is divided into the Spring and Autumn (770-476 BC) and Warring States (475-221 BC) periods, when the Five Hegemons and Seven Powers successively emerged, experiencing 500 years of warfare before the powerful Qin state triumphed and unified China.

The Qin people originally belonged to the Ying clan living in Shangyan (present-day Laiwu and Qufu, Shandong) in the east. In the early Zhou, due to rebellion, they were forcibly relocated westward to what is now southeastern Gansu Province, interspersed with Xirong tribes.

In the mid-Western Zhou, a Qin man named Feizi bred horses for the Zhou king along the Wei River and was granted a fief in Qin land (today's Tianshui, Gansu). Feizi adopted the fief name "Qin" as his clan name, becoming "Qin Ying."

When the Quanrong invaded Haojing, Qin Xianggong rescued the Zhou and escorted King Ping eastward. Thus King Ping enfeoffed Xianggong as a vassal lord, granting him the lands west of Qishan. The Qin thereby officially established a state, later moved the capital several times, and steadily expanded eastward. By the time of Duke Mu, Qin had become one of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn period. Under Duke Xiao, who appointed Shang Yang for reforms, Qin leapt to become the most powerful state in the mid-to-late period.

In 246 BC, King Zheng of Qin (Ying Zheng) ascended the throne, leading Qin armies to conquer Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan, and Qi, and in 221 BC established China's first unified centralized imperial state—the Qin. Later, Qin campaigned north against the Xiongnu, extending northern territory to the Ordos region beyond the Great Wall; and south against the Baiyue, extending southern territory throughout the Lingnan region.

The Qin integrated the political systems and cultures of Xia, Shang, and Zhou unprecedentedly. At the central level, the Three Lords and Nine Ministers were implemented; locally, the commandery-county system replaced feudalism. Nationwide, they standardized writing, axle widths, weights and measures, fostering the concept of "all under Heaven" as a unified realm.

Ying Zheng, believing his achievements surpassed those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, combined "Huang" (sovereign) and "Di" (emperor) to call himself "First Emperor" (Shi Huangdi). Henceforth, the title "Huangdi" was used by emperors for over two thousand years.

Let's now glimpse the grandeur and vastness of the Qin Empire through its relics.

(Bronze dragon: the base of a giant musical instrument stand from Qin. Qin culture had a tradition of pursuing overwhelming grandeur; after unifying China, this ethos was pushed to its extreme. This bronze dragon, a product of the apex of the Qin Empire, radiates its strength.)

(Gold-inlaid Duhu tiger tally: Tallies were credentials used by the ancient court to convey orders and deploy troops, split into left and right halves. The right half stayed in the capital; the left was kept by frontier commanders. When mobilizing troops, a messenger brought the right half; only after matching with the commander's left half could the army act on the order.)

(Terracotta warrior: painted kneeling archer)

(Terracotta warrior: civil official. Although the warriors we see now are dull-colored, they were originally painted in rich, bright colors.)

(Stone armor of the Qin army)

(Bronze chariot: Two bronze chariots were discovered in a pit west of Qin Shihuang's mausoleum, half the size of real ones, with complex structure and fine craftsmanship, hailed as the "crown of bronze.")

(Bronze cranes: 46 bronze waterfowls—swans, wild geese, red-crowned cranes—were unearthed from accompanying pits at the Qin Shihuang mausoleum, suggesting an attempt to create an aquatic environment.)

In 210 BC, Qin Shihuang died of illness during an inspection tour; three years later, the Qin Empire fell. In 202 BC, Liu Bang emerged victorious among the anti-Qin forces, established the Han dynasty, and made Chang'an the capital.

The Han is divided into Western Han (202 BC-AD 8) and Eastern Han (25-220), with Wang Mang briefly seizing power to found the Xin dynasty (9-23).

Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang inherited the Qin system while advocating "governing by non-interference" (wu wei), implementing policies of rest and recuperation. This greatly contributed to social stability and economic development in early Han, laying a solid foundation for later prosperity. The Han lasted over four centuries, with many golden ages, such as the "Reigns of Wen and Jing," "Han Wu Prosperity," "Xiaoxuan's Rule," "Guangwu Restoration," "Ming and Zhang's Rule," and "Yongyuan Flourishing Age."

Emperor Wu of Han was the most visionary among them, often paired with Qin Shihuang as "Qin Huang and Han Wu." Politically, he set up inspectors to strengthen centralization and consolidate unity; culturally, he established the Imperial Academy, selected talents solely on merit, dismissed all other schools and venerated Confucianism alone; militarily, he expanded southern and southwestern territories, counter-attacked the Xiongnu, twice sent Zhang Qian as envoy to the Western Regions, established the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and opened the Silk Road; in ritual, he built Ganquan Palace ("using bamboo to make a palace, the Son of Heaven at the center") and established the heaven-worship ritual as the state's highest sacrifice, making the suburban sacrifice a core symbol of dynastic legitimacy for later ages.

Under Emperor Wu and other wise rulers, the Han empire boasted vast territory, foreign submission, economic prosperity, and cultural flourishing, becoming the strongest state of its time and one of China's most glorious dynasties.

(Western Han gold monster: an ornament on a Xiongnu chieftain's headdress, reflecting their worship of fierce, powerful animals.)

(Han dynasty gilt bronze silkworm: each part is clearly carved, lifelike, head raised as if spinning silk, representing the thriving sericulture industry of the Han and a signature artifact of silk trade between China and the West, highlighting the prosperity of the Silk Road.)

(Late Western Han jade winged man riding a winged horse)

(Late Western Han jade figurine head)

(Late Western Han jade bixie guardian)

(Western Han jade pig)

(Han pottery winged horse)

(Han painted lamp with wild goose and fish: exquisite in design and ingenious in structure, a masterpiece of Han lamps.)

(Han comedian figurine: The Han was a period of unprecedented development in the "hundred entertainments" such as music, dance, and acrobatics, with professional performers and a dedicated institution—the Music Bureau—to collect folk songs nationwide and adapt them for performance.)

(Early Western Han dancer figurines)

("Han Unifying All Under Heaven" tile-end)

(Han painted infantry figurines)

(Western Han bronze hedgehog)

At the end of the Eastern Han, political turmoil fragmented the empire into Wei, Shu, and Wu, ushering in a roughly 370-year period of division known as the Three Kingdoms, Two Jins, and Southern and Northern Dynasties.

In AD 266, Sima Yan replaced Wei with Jin, known as the Western Jin, briefly unifying the nation. In 316, Western Jin fell; the Jin court fled south to establish Eastern Jin (317-420). The north entered the "Five Hu (Barbarian) Era" of Sixteen Kingdoms, followed by the Northern Dynasties: in 386, Tuoba Gui of the Xianbei founded Northern Wei; in 534, it split into Eastern and Western Wei; in 550, Northern Qi replaced Eastern Wei; in 557, Northern Zhou replaced Western Wei; in 577, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (Yuwen Yong) destroyed Northern Qi, reunifying the north.

Meanwhile, after Eastern Jin, the south saw the rise of Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen, collectively called the Southern Dynasties.

During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, regimes changed frequently, wars raged, and many ethnic minorities contended, clashed, and merged in the north, most establishing capitals within Shaanxi. Agricultural and pastoral civilizations collided and blended, the Silk Road remained prosperous, and Buddhism spread eastward, fueling cultural and artistic development.

("Shengping Thirteenth Year" gold-inlaid clay tube from Former Liang of the Sixteen Kingdoms)

(Northern Wei mounted warrior figurine)

(Western Wei Dugu Xin multi-faceted jet seal: a collection of seals from different periods of the famous general Dugu Xin, with fourteen surfaces inscribed with phrases like "Your Subject Xin submits a memorial," "Grand Commander Seal," "State Pillar Seal," etc., a precious artifact for studying Northern Dynasty seal systems.)

(Northern Zhou Buddhist statue)

In 581, Yang Jian usurped Zhou and founded the Sui dynasty. In 583, Emperor Wen of Sui built the new capital Daxing, the precursor of Sui-Tang Chang'an. In 589, Sui destroyed Chen, reunifying China.

Like the Qin, the Sui reunified but fell during the reign of its second emperor. The succeeding Tang, much like the Han after Qin, became the most glorious era in Chinese history.

Though the Sui was short-lived (581-619), it laid a firm foundation for the great Tang. Emperor Wen established the Three Departments and Six Ministries system—clear in division, tight and efficient—adopted by later dynasties. Emperor Yang built the Grand Canal linking north and south, valued education, and created the imperial examination system to select talent, with far-reaching influence.

(Sui green glazed bottle)

In AD 618, Li Yuan proclaimed himself emperor and established the Tang dynasty, embarking on an epic golden age. The second emperor, Taizong Li Shimin, was a ruler of exceptional talent and foresight, open to remonstrance, governing with clarity, and his prestige spread far, earning him the title "Heavenly Khagan" among minority groups. Historical records highly praise him: "Taizong's civil and military abilities surpassed the ancients; since the Three Dynasties, no such greatness has been seen in China."

During the reign of his successor, Gaozong, the realm prospered, the Eastern and Western Turks were unified under Tang, and the empire reached its greatest territorial extent, known as the "Yonghui Rule."

Then Wu Zetian rose, replacing Tang with Zhou. She valued talent, claiming "the court is full of gentlemen," and governed ably, known as the "Wu Zhou Rule."

After Emperor Xuanzong ascended the throne, he promoted culture and education, achieving great order, and the Tang reached its zenith in economy, culture, and art, with unprecedented national strength, known as the "Kaiyuan Flourishing Age."

The An Lushan Rebellion sent the dynasty into decline, yet there were still the "Yuanhe Resurgence" under Xianzong, "Huichang Restoration" under Wuzong, and "Dazhong Rule" under Xuanzong. Commerce and industry remained vigorous in the mid-to-late Tang, continuing to radiate imperial glory.

In 907, Zhu Wen forced Emperor Ai of Tang to abdicate, and the Tang fell.

The Tang was an open, all-embracing empire, its capital Chang'an the premier cosmopolitan metropolis of its day, admired by all nations. The city teemed with frequent Sino-foreign exchanges; large numbers of foreigners and Hu people lived alongside Han Chinese, bringing together diverse cultures, ideas, and religions. This endowed the Tang with pluralism, creativity, and grandeur, and instilled in its scholars an open mind and enterprising spirit—evident in the peak of classical poetry, Tang poetry. The prosperous age gave birth to a powerful culture that was exported to Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Indochina, and other regions, profoundly influencing them and forming the Confucian cultural sphere.

A glimpse of the thriving Tang can be seen in its splendid artifacts.

(Gold-gilt iron-core bronze dragon)

(Gilt silver stem cup with entwined floral and bird patterns)

(Green-glazed pottery boshan incense burner)

(Three-color glazed pottery double-fish flask)

(Three-color glazed pottery reclining camel)

(Painted female dancer figurine with double hair buns)

(Pottery storyteller figurine)

(Painted kneeling female figurine)

(Three-color dragon-head cup: a product of Sino-foreign cultural fusion, combining features of ancient Chinese drinking vessels and dragon decoration with the shape of a Greek rhyton. The rhyton originated in ancient Greece and spread eastward via Persia.)

(Three-color courtyard: Tang aristocrats lived in such compounds.)

(Stone walking lion from Shunling Mausoleum: Shunling is the tomb of Wu Zetian's mother, Lady Yang. Stone lions were symbolic guardians placed in front of Tang imperial tombs. Earlier tomb stone carvings were mainly tianlu and bixie. Lions, native to West Asia and Africa, came to China via the Silk Road and became one of the standard imperial tomb stone motifs from the Tang onward. This lion is tall, magnificent, and imposing, exuding the robust, heroic style of the High Tang—the largest stone lion in Chinese history, acclaimed as the "Number One Lion of the East.")

In addition to the Silk Road reaching the Western Regions, the Tang also had a major thoroughfare extending southwest through Gansu, Qinghai, and Tibet to Nepal and India: the famous Tang-Bo Ancient Road.

In the early 4th century, the Murong Xianbei tribe from Liaodong migrated west into what is now western Inner Mongolia, Gansu, and Qinghai, gradually merging with local Qiang and other groups, growing in power and eventually founding the Tuyuhun kingdom. In the early Tang, Songtsen Gampo of the Tubo (Tibetan) kingdom unified all of Tibet, created a writing system, developed the economy and culture, and grew increasingly strong. In the course of exchanges with these polities, the Tang-Bo Ancient Road came into being and played a significant role through the following dynasties.

Now, let's look at artifacts that witnessed trade along the Tang-Bo Ancient Road.

(Seven-hole bronze yue: belonging to the Kayue Culture, a Bronze Age culture in the northwest, located at present-day Kayue Village, Huangzhong, Qinghai.)

(Painted clay warrior figurine)

(Painted clay figurine playing polo)

(Acuoye Guanyin bronze statue: a unique Guanyin image from Yunnan)

(Tibetan chest ornament: Ga'u)

(Painted pottery male figurine: Doesn't he look like Popeye?)

After the Tang, China's political center shifted eastward, and Shaanxi no longer hosted the imperial capital, but it remained the political, economic, and cultural center of the northwest. For example, during the Northern Song, the Tangut people established Western Xia, occupying northern Shaanxi. In the early Southern Song, the Jin army invaded and occupied most of Shaanxi. The Song and Jin faced off along the Qinling Mountains, struggling and interacting, which promoted ethnic integration.

(Five Dynasties celadon pouring pot with inverted handle)

(Northern Stone Buddha cave from Beizhong Mountain)

(Southern Song glazed pottery warrior figurine)

(Song dynasty white marble Buddha statue)

(Jin dynasty pottery sumo wrestler figurine)

(Yuan dynasty warrior figurine)

(Ming dynasty painted ceremonial retinue figurines)

Our museum journey ends here. I believe you now have a more concrete and vivid answer to the questions at the beginning.

Finally, let's take a brief recap:

Over six thousand years ago, on the painted pottery of Banpo Culture, fish and birds contended, now one rising, now the other, symbolizing the Yan and Huang emperors—loving yet clashing—until fish and bird merged into the "flower," a revelation of Huaxia culture and the beginning of the descendants of Yan and Huang.

From then on, the illustrious Zhou, the valiant Qin, the mighty Han, and the resplendent Tang successively took the stage, choreographing the brilliant splendor of Chinese history.