Guyuan Museum

　　  Guyuan Museum is a comprehensive provincial-level museum primarily focused on collecting ethnic historical relics. It is one of the 70 key museums in China designated by the National Cultural Heritage Administration in 1998. Officially opened to the public in September 1988, the museum covers an area of approximately 40,000 square meters, with a building area of 14,000 square meters. The total collection of cultural relics amounts to around 12,000 items, including 123 national treasures and first-grade relics identified by the National Cultural Relics Appraisal Committee. The collection is especially notable for its Northern-style bronzeware from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, as well as Silk Road relics from the Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang dynasties.

　　    The exhibition displays are divided into four parts: the Exhibition Building, the Bell Pavilion, the Ancient Tomb Reconstruction Hall, and the Stone Carvings.

　　    The exhibitions in the Exhibition Building are divided into two sections: the permanent exhibition "Historical Relics of Guyuan" and the thematic exhibition "The Silk Road in Guyuan." These feature over 1,000 exhibits in total, presenting the splendid and glorious history of Guyuan spanning more than 6,000 years. With a vast chronological scope and profound, extensive content, the exhibitions emphasize local and ethnic characteristics to showcase the history and cultural origins of Guyuan’s early inhabitants.

　　    The thematic exhibition "The Silk Road in Guyuan." The "Silk Road" served as a bridge connecting the East and West, known as a major artery for political, economic, and cultural exchange between the Eastern and Western worlds. It stretched from Chang’an (modern-day Xi'an in Shaanxi Province) in the east to the Mediterranean coast in the west, spanning East Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, and parts of Europe. The ancient Silk Road had four entry points and two exit points in Guyuan. During historical periods such as the Han, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, and Western Xia dynasties, the northern route from Chang’an to Liangzhou passed through Guyuan via the following paths: The first route entered from An’guo Town in Pingliang, Gansu, passing through Liancai, Jiangtai, Zhangyi, Shuxia Pass, Guyuan (formerly Yuanzhou), Toutouying, and Sanying. The second route also entered from Pingliang, Gansu, passing through Liancai, Liupan Mountain, Longde County, then entering Jingning County in Gansu. The third route entered again from Pingliang, Gansu, passing through Sanguankou (Danzheng Gorge), Watting (also accessible to Longde), Guyuan, Toutouying, and Sanying. The fourth route entered from Zhenyuan, Gansu, passing through Honghe Township and Pengyang County (Baiquan), Gucheng, Guyuan, Toutouying, and Sanying. From Sanying northward, there were three routes: The first led from Sanying through Qiying to Xiaoguan, exiting Guyuan. The second went from Sanying through Heicheng (Tongxia), Satai (Dangqiangzhai), Xianma River Gaotaisi, Xi’an (Xi’an State), and on to Yanchi (Dingrongzhai), exiting into Jingyuan County, Gansu. The third route passed through Sanying, Huangduobao, Lijun (Jiuyangzhai), Hongyang, Shutai Xi’an (Xi’an State), and Yanchi, exiting into Jingyuan County, Gansu. The exhibits mainly consist of artifacts reflecting East-West cultural exchanges, showcasing the prosperity of the Silk Road during the Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang periods.

　　    With the opening of the Silk Road, Buddhism was introduced to Guyuan. From the Northern Wei to the Sui and Tang dynasties, the region saw the emergence of numerous grottoes and stone and bronze Buddhist statues, such as gilded bronze Buddhas and jade Bodhisattvas, signifying the flourishing development of the northern route of the eastern Silk Road. A house model unearthed from a Northern Wei tomb in Xinji, Pengyang, was constructed from rammed earth with carved roof tiles and window frames—a solid structure that represents the first discovery of its kind in China from the same period. Beneath the house, about ten meters underground, was a tomb chamber containing over 150 painted pottery figurines and ox-drawn carts, many of which depicted Hu people. The discovery of the "Northern Wei Lacquer Coffin Painting" was a major event in recent art archaeology. It provides brand-new and representative Northern Dynasties painting materials for the study of art history and further insight into the art of painting during that period. The lacquer coffin paintings demonstrate a fusion of traditional culture with foreign civilizations, as well as a blend of Confucian and Buddhist themes. The historical stories depicted along with scenes of the coffin owner's life not only hold artistic value but also significant historical research importance. The "Raised Nail Glass Bowl" is a treasure from the West, featuring the traditional glassworking techniques of the Persian Sassanian Dynasty. It reflects the unique style and exquisite craftsmanship of Sassanian glassware shapes and decorations, providing valuable material for the study of ancient Chinese glass. The "Gold Ring" features designs and carvings with strong Western cultural elements. The decorative lapis lazuli inlays mostly originated from Afghanistan, indicating that the ring came from beyond the Pamir Mountains. The "Ring-Headed Iron Sword" was excavated from the right side of the wooden coffin in Li Xian’s tomb. It was the sword worn by Li Xian during his lifetime and is the only complete iron sword unearthed from a Northern Dynasties tomb to date. It provides crucial physical evidence for the study of ancient Chinese weaponry and East-West cultural exchanges. The "Gilt Silver Ewer" is a handicraft imported from the Persian Sassanian Dynasty to China, produced in the Bactria region and belonging to the Sassanian metalwork system. The figures depicted on the ewer illustrate the spread of classical Western art in northern regions during the medieval period. The story portrayed is based on ancient Greek mythology, with an artistic style reflecting Greek and Roman characteristics. Its exquisite craftsmanship, precious materials, and rarity make it highly valuable. This type of luxury gold and silver ware holds a significant place among the imported treasures from the West to China and has had a profound impact on international academic research regarding the unresolved questions about Sassanian gold and silver artifacts. Over 200 cultural relics from the collection have been invited to be exhibited abroad several times, playing a positive role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and other countries.