Datong: This Niche Museum Hides the Stunning Northern Wei Blue

As the saying goes: "See Shanxi for relics above ground, and Datong for Northern Wei and Liao-Jin dynasties!" Among the many unearthed cultural relics, bronzes and ceramics are nothing new! Surprisingly, the ancients mastered glassblowing technology over a thousand years ago! That touch of "Northern Wei Blue" is the best evidence! You have to see it with your own eyes to know how stunning it is! - The Datong Museum holds a significant position! Among its 170,000 artifacts, over 3,000 are considered precious! Its richness rivals that of the Shanxi Museum! As a first-class museum, it opens a time tunnel to Datong's 1,000-year history. - 🔺Overall Evaluation: ✔️The regular exhibition halls are divided into four themes: The Vicissitudes of the Land, Pingcheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Xijing of the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and Datong in the Ming and Qing Dynasties! But the second floor is the highlight! The dinosaur fossils on the first floor should be very suitable for children! It creates an immersive scene.🎬 ✔️Exhibitions are divided by era: The first floor covers ancient times to the Two Han Dynasties, the second floor focuses on the Northern Wei Dynasty, and the third floor covers the Liao, Jin, Ming, and Qing Dynasties! A complete timeline without backtracking. ✔️There are guided tours every day! Audio guides are ¥20! Free docent-led tours are available at 9:30/10:00/14:30/15:00! They cover about 90% of the collection. ✔️The museum occasionally holds parent-child activities! I encountered a DIY activity that day. - 🔺Temporary Exhibition Hall: The new theme is "Civilization's Zenith - The Life and Times of Empress Dowager Wenming of the Northern Wei Dynasty"! This exhibition runs until March 10, 2025! Through four sections: "Former Home of the Northern Yan," "Migration from Qin and Yong," "Years in Pingcheng," and "An Empress for the Ages," it takes you into the life of the "First Lady of the Northern Wei Dynasty"! There's a beautiful "golden buyao (hair ornament)." - 🔺Museum Treasures: 🍃Lacquer Screen from the Tomb of Sima Jinlong: One of the relics prohibited from leaving the country! Buried for thousands of years, the colors are still vibrant! Although it's a replica, it's displayed three-dimensionally on both sides! Half of the original is also housed in the museum! The original is rarely exhibited. 🍃Sima Jinlong's Honor Guard: The honor guard consists of 238 figurines with vivid expressions and magnificent momentum, showcasing the royal atmosphere! Such a large-scale formation is extremely rare. 🍃Small Blue Glass Bottle: Created by the Yuezhi people, the Northern Wei blue shimmers with rainbow hues in its coolness. 🍃Painted Pottery Acrobatics Figurines: Nine painted pottery figures form an acrobatic troupe, each with a different pose. One of them looks up and claps, exquisitely charming. 🍃Glazed Chiwen from Huayan Temple / Glazed Beast from Huiquan Temple: The glazed chiwen is 2.85 meters high, with a dragon's head and a fish's tail, covered in scales, a typical feature of Liao Dynasty architecture! The Jin Dynasty glazed beast is about 90 centimeters high and is commonly known as "Wangtianniu (Sky-Gazing Beast)." - 📍Address: No. 506 Taihe Road, Pingcheng District, Datong City, Shanxi Province 🚘Transportation: Taxi is recommended, or take bus No. 38 and get off at the "Museum" stop. 🎫Tickets: Free 📱Reservation: Book 7 days in advance via the "Datong Museum" official account. ⏱️Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30), closed on Mondays