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ShaanXi History Museum

• Chinese Name: 陕西历史博物馆
• Address: 91，east road of XiaoZhai,XiAn,ShaanXi, China
• Founded Time： 652 AD
• Tickets: 20 RMB/per(Get Free if Q)
• Recommend tour time 2-3 hrs
• Phone: +86 29 8525 3806
• Offical Website: https://www.sxhm.com/
• Opening Time(Winter): 9：00—17:00 Close at Monday
• Opening Time(Winter): 8：30—18:00 Close at Monday

ShaanXi History Museum

Shaanxi History Museum Video

ShaanXi History Museum

In the southern part of Xian about one kilometer northwest of the Greate Wild Goose Pagoda stands the Shaanxi History Museum, a large State-grade Museum, which covers an area of seven hectares. It consists of a group of magnificent Tang-style palaces. As the regional capital and doorway to the Silk Road, Xian was one of the richest, most well-protected cities in all of China. The famous Shaanxi History Museum introduces the visitor to area rich culture, from Emperor Qin Shi Huang to the present day in this walled city.

ShaanXi History Museum
Construction Feature of Shaanxi History Museum
Constructed from 1983, this history museum was opened to the public since 1991. Taking a Tang style architectural art, Shaanxi History Museum conveys an idea that “hall in center, storied buildings in corners”. It is an elegant building that mixes the traditional and modern technology harmoniously.

Museum Collections
The museum is house in a striking Tang Dynasty-style pavilion and features an enormous collection of 113,000 historic and cultural relics. This is where you experience history, with chronological dynasties exhibits that take you through the Han, Wei, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. It is an ideal place for learning about the origins and development of ancient Chinese history. There are several typical categories of collections:

Features of the museum’s cultural relics and treasures

Covering an area of 65,000 square meters, the museum houses more than 380,000 pieces of cultural relics from simple stone tools used by ancient humans in the initial stage to various artifacts in social life before 1840, with a time span of more than one million years. The cultural relics are not only numerous in number and full in variety, but also high in grade and wide in value. The collections in the museum can be described as dazzling and fine. It is an art palace displaying the history and culture of Shaanxi and ancient Chinese civilization. It is known as “the pearl of the ancient capital and the treasure house of China”.

There are many treasures in the museum, such as bronzes from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, pottery figurines of all dynasties, gold and silver utensils from the Han and Tang dynasties, and Tang tomb murals.

Shaanxi History MuseumBronze Ware
Over 3900 bronze wares has logged and registered. The collections are from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties to the Qin and Han Dynasties. There are sacrificial vessels, instruments, weapons, horses and chariots devices, daily necessities and production tools. The most typical bronze wares are the Shang and Zhou Dynasties’ bronzes, many are with high historical value inscription on them.

Tang Dynasty Tomb Frescoes
There are more than 400 frescoes, with an area of over 1000 square meters. The frescoes were uncovered from 25 tombs of Tang Dynasty during 1952-1989.

Terracotta Figurines
The collections include terracotta figurines of Qin, Han, the Northern Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. The artistic images include civil and military officials, soldier guards, valet waitress, western barbarian, and kings, tomb beast and horses, camels and other animals.

Pottery and PorcelainShaanxi History Museum
There are prehistoric Yangshao potteries, primitive celadon of Western Zhou Dynasty, the Han Dynasty glazed pottery, Han pottery, tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty ancient glass, colored glaze, Tang Dynasty secret color ware, Song celadon and so on.
Except the above 4 categories, there are also building materials, bronze mirror, gold and silver, jade ware, coins, calligraphy and painting, scrolls, fabrics, bone ware, wood ware, lacquer ware, iron ware, stone ware, chop, lute, and the modern national heritage and folk heritage.

And today, besides the ancient Chinese collections are displayed, this museum also provides a platform to exhibit relics from overseas cities including Japan, France, the United States and Germany.ShanXi History Meseum.Exhibition Halls
The basic exhibition of Shaanxi History Museum is Shanxi ancient civilization. It was officially opened in 2008. The whole display area is 5051 square meters. There are 3 exhibition halls, displaying in 7 parts: pre-history; Zhou Dynasty; Qin Dynasty; Han, Wei, Jin, the Northern and Southern Dynasties; Sui and Tang Dynasty; Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties.Shaanxi History Museum Exhibition Hall 1

• Exhibition Hall 1:
  The first unit: Ren Yuan Yi Bie, the ancients of 1.15 million years ago. The second unit: Feng Ming Qi Shan, displaying rich rites of Western Zhou Dynasty’s palace. The third unit: Empire East, displaying Terracotta Warriors of Qin Dynasty.
• Exhibition Hall 2:
  The forth unit: Mainly displaying Changan – the ancient capital of Han, mausoleum, and typical Han cultural relics. The fifth unit: Great fusion of Shaanxi nationalities, rich cultural relics of Buddhist learning and religious heritage
• Exhibition 3:
  The sixth unit: Prosperous Tang Dynasty. The seventh unit: after Tang Dynasty.

Shaanxi History Museum Tourist Map

How to Get To ShaanXi History Museum

ShaanXi History Museum Travel Guide

Scenic spot explanation:

[Automatic audio guide machine]

• Location: Enter the entrance of the first exhibition hall in the central hall of the museum, and queue up to rent.
• Fees: rent 30 yuan, deposit 100 yuan.

[Instructor]

Shaanxi ancient civilization (basic display, free visit): 100 yuan for Chinese explanation, 150 yuan for English explanation Museum of Mural Treasures (special exhibition, ticket price 270 yuan): 50 yuan for Chinese explanation, 100 yuan for English explanation. One guide can lead up to 10 tourists to visit.

In addition, the museum arranges volunteer guides to provide free explanations for the audience. Please find more information at the guide contact point in the hall.

Treasures in the collection:

There are three exhibition halls in the center of the museum. The first exhibition hall displays cultural relics from the prehistoric civilization of Lantian ape-man 1.15 million years ago to the Qin Dynasty; the second exhibition hall displays cultural relics from the Han Dynasty and the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties; Mainly cultural relics. Each exhibition hall has its own treasure of the town hall.

There are special exhibition halls on the east and west sides of the central hall. On the west side, there is a “Thematic Exhibition of Remains of the Tang Dynasty (Treasure Hall, Unearthed Cultural Relics in Hejia Village)”, where many fine gold and silverware from the heyday of the Tang Dynasty have been transferred here. On the east side is the “Exhibition of Treasures of Tang Dynasty Mural Paintings”, which exhibits a batch of authentic mural paintings of Tang Dynasty tombs.

Yu Ding

The 旟 [yú] tripod is placed in the first exhibition hall at the entrance of the museum, and it can be said to be the treasure of the first exhibition hall. Placed here are replicas, the originals remain in the warehouse. Inscription on the outer wall: The inscription “under the whole world, is it the land of the king; on the shore of the land, is it the subject of the king”, which reflects the land ownership system in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

There are four lines of 28-character inscriptions cast on the inner wall of the tripod, to the effect that: at the beginning of August of a certain year, Wang Jiang took back the land originally bestowed to Shichao and gave it to him, so he made this tripod to commemorate it.

Queen’s Seal:

One of the treasures worth seeing in the second exhibition hall is this jade seal of the empress of the Han Dynasty displayed alone. The whole body of this jade seal was made of mutton fat jade from Hetian, Xinjiang. There is a chi tiger engraved on it, which symbolizes royal power.

Three-color camel figurines carrying joy:

This world-famous three-color camel figurine carrying joy is located in the third exhibition hall of Shaanxi History Museum, and its overall appearance and color are well preserved. On the back of the camel sat seven men with different musical instruments in their hands. Among them, the terracotta figurines holding clappers are attentive, as if they are intoxicated by the wonderful music. The woman in the middle is performing, and the camel opens its mouth wide and faces the sky, as if singing along with its owner.

Gold inlaid animal head agate cup:

This cultural relic located in the special exhibition “Thematic Exhibition of Relics of the Tang Dynasty” is one of the first batch of 64 national treasures listed by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage that will never be allowed to leave the country for exhibition.

In addition, there are many treasures such as black-glazed oil-drop bowls, celadon-glazed porcelain pots pouring beams, gilt-silver copper incense burners with bamboo joints, and golden bowls with mandarin duck and lotus petals.

ShaanXi History Museum Photo

ShaanXi History Museum Travel Guide

Appointment method

ShaanXi History Museum implements real-name authentication for online reservation and ticket booking. Please follow the “Shaanxi History Museum” WeChat public account to make ticket reservations.

Children under 1.4 meters or under 6 years old: No need to make an appointment, and no need to check the ID card. They can be brought directly into the museum by an adult who has made a reservation. One adult can bring up to 2 children into the museum

Entry process

Visitors who reserve tickets for the “Basic Exhibition”, please cooperate with the staff to check the reservation order within the reservation time period on the day of the visit, and directly scan and enter the museum with your ID card or Passport.

Limitation

• maximum tickets/day:12000 pcs
• Monday Closed