Tengzhou City Museum

Tengzhou City Museum

Tengzhou City Museum is located at No. 82 Longshan Road in the urban area, covering an area of over 10 acres with a construction area of 5,700 square meters. It is a classic-style antique building. The main structure has 10 floors, and visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the top floor.

The museum currently houses a collection of more than 13,000 cultural relics, including over 60 items designated as national first-class treasures, many of which have been exhibited abroad. The outstanding features of the collection include relics from the 7,300-year-old "Beixin Culture," primitive celadon ware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bronze ware, and exquisitely crafted jade artifacts. The museum features six exhibition halls: Prehistoric Culture, Shang and Zhou Culture, Weapons, Bronze Mirrors, Coins, and Calligraphy & Paintings.

The Prehistoric Culture Hall mainly displays relics from the Beixin Culture, Dawenkou Culture, Longshan Culture, and Yueshi Culture periods. Stone grinding plates, stone sickles, stone shovels, antler picks, and chestnut grains prove that as early as over 7,000 years ago, there was a relatively developed primitive agricultural culture settlement here. The simple and unadorned Beixin pottery, the beautifully shaped and finely crafted Dawenkou pottery, and the Longshan pottery—where form and craftsmanship are perfectly unified—form the elegant and delicate overall style of Dongyi culture ceramics. The single-colored “Red-topped Bowl” traces the origins of the splendidly colored pottery of the Dawenkou Culture.

The Shang and Zhou Culture Hall mainly exhibits bronze ware unearthed from the three ancient states of Teng, Xue, and Ni within Tengzhou during the Shang and Zhou periods. Many inscribed bronze artifacts from the State of Teng have been excavated successively from the ancient city site of Teng and the noble tombs of Teng, such as the “Tenghou Tripod,” “Tenghou Gui,” “Bupi Gui,” “Xuezhong Chifou,” “Xuezi Zhong Gui,” “Tenghuang Bianzhong,” and “Stone Bianqing.” The solemnly shaped and elaborately decorated Tenghou Tripod, with its mysterious patterns, is a rare piece of ancient art. The Tenghuang Bianzhong and Stone Bianqing are well-preserved and produce clear, pleasant sounds, making them some of the best-preserved musical instruments from the Warring States period in China. The “Xuezi Zhong An Gui” and “Xuezhong Chifou” both bear inscriptions and feature exquisite craftsmanship and intricate designs. The heavy artifact “Bupi Gui” bears an inscription of 151 characters, recounting the war in the 12th year of King Xuan of Zhou’s reign when the king ordered Guojizi Bai and Bupi to lead forces against the northern Xianyun invaders from Central China, as well as the king’s reward system.　

The Weapons Hall displays inscribed weapons such as the “Wangzi Fan Ge,” “Tenghou Yu Ge,” “Ling Ge,” and “Yuan Ge,” as well as bow-shaped weapons, offering a glimpse into the historical reality of competition and annexation among various feudal states.

The Bronze Mirror Hall showcases various types of bronze mirrors from the Warring States period to the Qing Dynasty, allowing visitors to appreciate the artistic styles, painting artistry, and mythological stories reflected in the casting techniques of different dynasties.

The Coin Hall features a large number of unique coins, offering insight into the overall development of Chinese currency. Especially notable are the pictographic characters on ancient coins, which reflect the evolution of Chinese calligraphy—from seal, clerical, running, regular, to cursive scripts—all flourishing in one place.

The Calligraphy & Paintings Hall allows you to admire the exquisite calligraphy and paintings by ancient artists. Tengzhou City Museum brings together a wealth of cultural relic treasures with significant historical, artistic, and scientific value, assembling the shining pearls of human civilization. It welcomes domestic and international visitors all year round with its top-quality services.

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museums of China