Shanxi Museum

Shanxi Museum

Shanxi Museum is located on Binhe West Road in Taiyuan City and is one of China’s earlier comprehensive regional museums. On July 30, 1992, the preparatory office for the new building of Shanxi Provincial Museum was established. On August 10, 2001, the foundation-laying ceremony for the new museum was held. On January 8, 2005, the new museum was completed and a preview ceremony was held, officially naming the new building as Shanxi Museum. With a total investment of 310 million yuan, Shanxi Museum is one of China’s newly built large-scale modern museums. It is a key construction project under the national “Ninth Five-Year Plan” and also the largest cultural infrastructure investment in Shanxi Province since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Shanxi, a place with particularly long history, is known as the “Cradle of Chinese Civilization” and often referred to as the “Museum of Ancient Chinese Culture.” As the culmination of Shanxi’s ancient culture, Shanxi Museum houses 12 (sets) of national treasure-level cultural relics, with 10 (sets) preserved there.

The museum covers an area of 168 mu, with a building area of 51,000 square meters, exhibition hall space of 10,000 square meters, and storage area of 12,000 square meters. The main structure consists of a central building and four corner towers. The main building has four floors above ground and one underground, with a shape that is “like a square and a tripod,” featuring spreading wings that symbolize harvest and good fortune. The four corner towers house a temporary exhibition hall, a multi-functional lecture hall, a cultural research building, and an administrative building, respectively. The museum preserves over 100,000 cultural relics collected through social donations, acquisitions, and excavations. These include cultural relics from prehistoric cultures, Xia culture, Shang culture in the northern regions, the culture of the Jin state, the ethnic fusion culture of the Northern Dynasties, Song and Jin Dynasty theatrical culture, Ming and Qing Dynasty Shanxi merchant culture, as well as revolutionary relics from the three major anti-Japanese bases during the War of Resistance and valuable cultural relics from the socialist construction period. There are over 400 first-class relics. Among them, the bronze ware representing the culture of feudal states—such as the dragon-shaped ritual wine vessel (gong), Jin Dynasty bronze castings, the Houma covenant texts, Northern Dynasties Buddhist statues, porcelain from Shanxi kilns of the Song and Jin Dynasties, the most intact set of Ming Dynasty water–land ritual paintings in China, Ming and Qing Shanxi merchant relics and folk artworks, and anti-Japanese war relics—are important collections nationally. The museum's collections have been exhibited in the United States, Japan, Italy, France, Spain, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, and other places.

The museum hosts a large-scale exhibition themed “The Soul of Jin,” consisting of 12 thematic sections: seven historical and cultural topics — “Cradle of Civilization,” “Traces of Xia and Shang,” “The Hegemony of the Jin State,” “Melting Pot of Ethnicities,” “Buddhist Splendor of Sacred Land,” “Hometown of Chinese Opera,” and “Glory of Shanxi Merchants” — and five art-themed sections — “Architectural Grandeur,” “Treasures of Mountains and Rivers,” “Calligraphy and Painting,” “World of Coins,” and “Porcelain Artistry.” It serves as a showcase for the long history and splendid culture of Shanxi. Shanxi Museum boasts a modern visitor service system and information network management system. Its space and facilities can accommodate not only basic exhibitions and temporary displays but also large-scale international exhibitions and academic conferences.

The Bird-Shaped Zun (wine vessel) of Marquis Jing of Jin stands 39 cm tall, 30.5 cm long, and 17.5 cm wide. It is a wine vessel unearthed from the tomb of the first Marquis of Jin, Marquis Xie Fu. The overall form is that of a standing phoenix looking back, with its tail curved downward into the shape of an elephant head, forming a three-point support with its legs. The lid and base of the vessel are inscribed with the text: “Made by Marquis of Jin for the precious zun of the Grand Temple,” indicating that it was a ritual vessel used in ancestral worship. The unique shape of the bird-shaped zun, which is rare among vessels, makes it the museum’s foremost treasured exhibit.

A zun is a type of wine vessel. This piece was unearthed from the tomb of the first Marquis of Jin, Marquis Xie Fu. The overall shape is that of a standing phoenix looking back, with its head slightly raised, round eyes gazing forward, a tall crest standing upright, and its tail curved downward into the shape of an elephant head, creating a three-point support with its legs. The design is realistic and vivid, with ingenious conception and exquisite decoration, making it a rare artistic masterpiece. The vessel’s lid and base are inscribed with the text: “Made by Marquis of Jin for the precious zun of the Grand Temple,” indicating that it was a ritual vessel used in ancestral worship.

The Xunhou You (a type of vessel, Western Zhou Dynasty) measures 35 cm in length, 17.5 cm in width, and 16.5 cm in height. It was unearthed in 1974 in Shangguo Village, Wenxi County. The vessel is oval and elongated, with a relatively straight rim, a narrow spout, a deep belly, and a round base. It features a dragon-shaped spout, with the dragon’s mouth holding the rim of the vessel. The four feet are in the shape of flat-bodied beasts. The rim is decorated with double-ring patterns, and the belly is adorned with tile-like patterns. The bottom of the belly is inscribed with 14 characters in three lines: “Xunhou Ji made this precious you; may his descendants enjoy eternal blessings.” This is a vessel from the Xun State during the Western Zhou Dynasty. Relics from the Xun State are extremely rare, as the state, located in what is now Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province, was later conquered by the Jin State.

Treasure of the Museum: The Beast-Shaped Gong (wine vessel), unearthed in 1976 in Jingjie Village, Lingshi County. A Shang Dynasty wine vessel, it stands 21.5 cm tall and is 24 cm long. The overall design is unique, featuring three layers of decorative patterns with intricate and elaborate motifs, reflecting the mysterious and fierce style characteristic of Shang Dynasty bronze ware. It possesses characteristics of the late Shang Dynasty as well as elements of northern bronze culture. It is not only a practical vessel but also a work of art.

The Pig-Shaped Zun (Western Zhou Dynasty) stands 22.4 cm tall and is 39 cm long. Unearthed in 2000 in Tomb 113 of the Marquis of Jin Cemetery at Beizhao Village, Quwo County, it is a wine vessel discovered in the tomb of the wife of the first Marquis of Jin, Marquis Xie Fu. The vessel is shaped like a pig, with a protruding snout, visible fangs, sloping ears, a plump body, a hollow belly, sturdy legs, an upturned tail, and bristles along the spine. There is a round opening on the back with a lid. The lid is decorated with a band of thunder-eye patterns, and the sides of the belly feature circular protrusions adorned with flame patterns and stylized animal motifs. The lid and base are inscribed with the text: “Made by Marquis of Jin for the traveling zun.” The character “?” is equivalent to “food/shi” and is commonly seen in inscriptions on bronze food vessels. Its use in a wine vessel is rare.

Treasure of the Museum: The Bronze Sacrificial Animal Standing Figure Holding a Rotating Plate (Warring States Period). The bronze sacrificial animal is the mystical beast at the base, and atop it stands a woman. The circular plate on top can rotate. The artifact stands 14.5 cm tall, is 18 cm long, has a plate diameter of 14 cm, and weighs 1.38 kg. It was used for holding fruit. The many perforations in the design were meant to let water drip through—an ingenious concept with exquisite decoration. It’s a national treasure!

Bronze Sacrificial Animal Standing Figure Holding a Rotating Plate. Height: 14.5 cm, Length: 18 cm, Plate Diameter: 14 cm, Weight: 1.38 kg. The plate is round, with a flared mouth and a flat base, connected to supporting columns that allow smooth rotation. The bottom of the plate is decorated with openwork coiled serpent patterns. The sacrificial animal has a plump body, gentle facial expression, round eyes, a long snout, large ears, short and stout legs, and stands firmly. On its back stands a figure with delicate features, tied hair hanging down the back, wearing a right-fastened robe, with both arms stretched forward grasping the pillar of the plate. The term “sacrificial animal” refers to the beasts used in ancient rituals. The function of this object is still under further study.

Hu Fu Wine Vessel: This vessel features a bold and generous design, with vivid animal imagery and a strong flavor of northern grassland culture. The gold-plating combined with painted decoration is magnificent, and this technique is very rare.

The Bird-Headed Human-Footed You (Western Zhou Dynasty) stands 34.6 cm tall. Unearthed in 1992 in Tomb 31 of the Marquis of Jin Cemetery at Beizhao Village, Quwo County, it is a wine vessel from the tomb of Lady Xi, wife of Marquis Xian of Jin. The body is flat and round, with a rectangular opening at the top and an outward-flaring rim. It features a round, sculpted bird with spread wings as the lid, connected to the body by a bear-shaped chain. At the front is a dragon head-shaped spout with a raised neck, and at the back is a beast head-shaped spout (pàn). Below the vessel are two half-crouching human-shaped feet with a forward-leaning posture, carrying the vessel on their backs, depicting the stance of people bearing a load. The upper part of the vessel’s body is decorated with intertwined dragon motifs, while the sides are adorned inward to outward with coiled dragon patterns, scale patterns, and diagonal cloud motifs.

Address: No. 13, North Section of Binhe West Road, Wanbailin District, Taiyuan City

Type: Museum

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0351-8789188

Opening Hours: 9:00–17:00, last entry at 16:00. Closed on Mondays, Lunar New Year’s Eve, and Lunar New Year’s Day.

Ticket Information:

Free admission. Visitors can collect free tickets at the ticket booth at the east or north gate of the museum.

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China