Tianzi Jialiu Museum

I'm here to reveal a hidden gem that you absolutely must not miss—the Zhou Royal City Son of Heaven's Six-Horse Museum! If you're in Luoyang to explore ancient history and rituals, this place is definitely worth your time. As soon as you step into the museum, it's as if you can travel through time and return to the majestic era of the Eastern Zhou dynasty. Although the museum is not large in scale, it's packed with substantial content! What is the 'Son of Heaven's Six-Horse' chariot? Simply put, it refers to the emperor's travel with a luxurious chariot drawn by six fine horses. This topic, which once sparked controversy in ancient texts, is corroborated here with physical evidence. Just imagine the scene of the Zhou emperor's procession, with the gleaming chariots and the whinnying of horses—it's truly awe-inspiring! In addition to the 'Son of Heaven's Six-Horse' chariot team, the museum also displays the archaeological findings of the Eastern Zhou royal city, giving us a deeper understanding of the culture and history of that period. Moreover, the museum educates about the 'Zhou dynasty's hierarchical ritual system,' helping us to better comprehend the clearly defined social strata of the time. 🐶In the chariot and horse pit, I also saw seven sacrificial dogs, one of which was desperately trying to escape, a sight that is both heart-wrenching and moving. Standing in front of the chariot and horse burial pit, closing your eyes, you can almost hear the distant sound of horse hooves and feel the profound sense of history.

➡️Historical records mention the Son of Heaven's six-horse chariot, but the actual object was lost to later generations. Over time, it became a historical mystery, with ongoing debates about whether the Son of Heaven had a four-horse or six-horse chariot, until the discovery of the ruins in Luoyang confirmed the records of the Son of Heaven's six-horse chariot. 🏮The Eastern Zhou Royal City was the capital for 14 kings from King Ping of Zhou's eastward move to Luoyi, through the reigns of King Dao and King Nan, spanning over 300 years (from King Jing to King Shenjing, 11 kings resided in Chengzhou City). The struggle for dominance among the states and the pursuit of power by various heroes marked the most prominent feature of Chinese history entering the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. As the capital of the 'Son of Heaven,' the royal city was the national center of politics, economy, culture, and transportation, enjoying the highest standard among the capitals of the states. The Eastern Zhou Royal City revealed magnificent city walls, towering palaces, neatly arranged granaries, well-planned handicraft workshops, and grand royal mausoleums. 📍Address: No. 226, Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province 🈺Opening Hours: 9:00-18:00 📱Reservation: Same-day reservation, 30 RMB per person

Luoyang Zhou Wangcheng Emperor's Six Museum The ancient system of the emperor's carriage 'driving six horses' seems to be an indisputable issue. However, in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), which was the most prosperous in Confucianism, scholars debated whether the Zhou emperor 'drove six horses' or 'drove four horses'. This academic debate about the number of horses driven by the ancient emperor, which took place in the 2nd century AD, was not really settled until the early 21st century, when the pit of the 'Emperor's Six' chariot and horses from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in Luoyang was unearthed: 'The emperor drives six, the princes drive five, the ministers drive four, the officials three, the scholars two, the common people -' Luoyang Zhou Wangcheng Emperor's Six Museum ticket information: Adult ticket: ¥30 Student ticket and 60-70 year old: half price Children under 1.4 meters and people over 70 years old: free with certificate Opening hours: Summer (8:00-22:00) Winter (8:00-18:30) Stop ticket half an hour in advance Location: Zhou Wangcheng Square, Luoyang City, Henan Province (226 Zhongzhou Middle Road, Xigong District, Luoyang City) Transportation information: Take bus No. 5, 48, 56, 81 from the train station to Wangcheng Square (Wangcheng Square is south of the road, and the Emperor's Six Museum is north of the road). You can also take bus No. 18, 9, 103, 101, 22 in the city to get there. Subway route: Take subway line 1 to Zhou Wangcheng Square Station and exit from exit C or D. Core exhibition: 'Eastern Zhou Luoyang Civilization Exhibition' The 'Eastern Zhou Luoyang Civilization Exhibition' is divided into three parts: 1 Wangcheng Tracing: The Eastern Zhou Wangcheng was the capital of 14 kings from Zhou Pingwang's move to Luoyi to Zhou Mourning King and Zhou Yan King, lasting more than 300 years (11 kings from Zhou Jing King to Shen Jing King all lived in Chengzhou City). The struggle for hegemony among the states and the competition among the heroes are the most prominent features of China's history entering the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. 2 Royal Tomb Exploration From the eastward move of Ping Wang in 770 BC to the extinction of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the 25 generations of Eastern Zhou kings should be buried in Luoyang after their death. Through more than 50 years of archaeological discoveries and literature materials, workers have divided the Eastern Zhou royal tombs into Wangcheng, Chengzhou, and Zhou Mountain, gradually unveiling the mysterious veil of the Eastern Zhou royal tombs. 3 Ritual and Music Civilization 'Music is the harmony of heaven and earth. Ritual is the order of heaven and earth.' The civilization of ritual and music, which is based on order and harmony, was formed and perfected in Zhou, and is an important part of ancient Chinese civilization. The system of ritual and music is the core of Zhou culture, and has had a profound impact on Chinese society and culture for the next 3000 years. The system of ritual and music in the Zhou Dynasty detailed the hierarchical system and different treatments that the emperor, princes, officials, and scholars must follow, involving politics, military, culture, life and other aspects, and is the norm for maintaining the concept of slave hierarchy and consolidating the status of slave owners. 'Chariot and Horse Burial Pit' During the Shang and Zhou dynasties, there was a unique system of burying real chariots and horses for practical use, which was an important part of the funeral rites of the aristocratic class.

Transportation: Subway Line 1, Zhou Wangcheng Square Station Exit D, you're there! Tickets are 30 yuan, no reservation needed Exhibition content, exhibition highlights: From July 2002 to March 2003, during the construction of the Zhou Wangcheng Square in Luoyang City, 397 rectangular vertical pit tombs from the Eastern Zhou period were discovered within a range of 16,000 square meters in the Eastern Zhou Wangcheng site area, about 200 meters from the east city wall of the Eastern Zhou Wangcheng. Among them, there are 2 large "Jia"-shaped tombs and 18 chariot pits. The museum displays the original site and condition of the West Zone No. 6 horse pit and the Central Zone No. 5 horse pit, and the rest have been backfilled for protection. The Central Zone No. 5 horse pit is the famous Emperor's Chariot Six burial pit, with the largest scale, the most number of chariots and horses, and the most magnificent momentum. "Chariot" is a ritual system in the feudal era. The so-called "Emperor's Chariot Six, princes' chariot five, ministers' chariot four, officials' chariot three, scholars' chariot two, common people's chariot one." (Lost Rites "Wang Du Ji"), only the emperor's ride could "be driven by six horses". tips: With the paper version of the Zhou Wangcheng Emperor's Chariot Six Museum ticket on the day, after the Zhou Wangcheng Emperor's Chariot Six Museum ticket verification, you can make a reservation to visit the Luoyang Museum (only on the same day, excluding groups).