A Visit to the Henan Museum on a Cold Winter Day: A Glimpse into a Thousand Years – A Winter Vacation Travelogue

The winter break in Zhengzhou was bitterly cold. Filled with longing for the civilization of the Central Plains, I entered the Henan Museum, its exterior resembling a pyramid, symbolizing the "spirit of the Central Plains." Having booked admission in advance, I followed the historical exhibits, from prehistoric times to the Song and Yuan dynasties. One by one, national treasures were displayed, revealing all nine of the museum's most prized possessions. This dialogue across eight thousand years of civilization made this winter break exceptionally profound and meaningful. Stepping into the Prehistoric Civilization Exhibition Hall, the Jiahu Bone Flute instantly caught my eye. This bone flute, dating back over 8,000 years, was meticulously crafted from the ulna of a red-crowned crane. Its body is neatly arranged with tone holes. This seemingly simple bone artifact is the earliest musical instrument discovered in China to date, and also one of the earliest playable wind instruments in the world. Standing before the display case, I could almost hear the ancient people gathered on the banks of Jiahu Lake, using it to signal hunts and perform sacrificial music—a clear, timeless sound of Chinese civilization that heralded the beginning of the Central Plains civilization. Stepping into the Shang Dynasty exhibition hall, the imposing grandeur of the bronze artifacts immediately struck me. The Duling Fangding, a pinnacle of early Shang Dynasty bronze art, is core evidence that Zhengzhou Shang City was the early Shang capital of Bo. The Duling No. 2 Fangding before me stands 87 centimeters tall and weighs 64.25 kilograms. Its body is decorated with regular patterns, the taotie motif solemn and majestic. The multi-mold casting technique showcases the wisdom of our ancestors. Predating the Simuwu Ding, it marks the beginning of the Chinese bronze ritual vessel system. The weight of the ding and the exquisite decorations allow me to truly feel the royal grandeur of the Shang Dynasty. Not far away, the Fuhao Owl-shaped Zun is a vibrant masterpiece of late Shang Dynasty bronze art. This wine vessel, unearthed from the tomb of Fu Hao at Yinxu in Anyang, is shaped like an owl. Its head is held high, chest puffed out, eyes wide open. The owl's body is covered with cloud and taotie patterns, intricate yet not cluttered. It was a ritual vessel used by Fu Hao, a female general of the Shang Dynasty. It not only embodies the wine ceremony culture of the Shang Dynasty but also brings the image of Fu Hao, a legendary woman, to life across three thousand years. Its harmonious blend of strength and gentleness makes it a masterpiece among bronze bird-shaped vessels. Continuing on, the artifacts in the Western Zhou and Spring and Autumn period exhibition hall showcase the splendor of ritual and music. A jade-hilted iron sword is quietly displayed. This short sword, unearthed from the tomb of the ruler of the State of Guo, is constructed with a jade hilt, a bronze core, and an iron blade, and is hailed as "China's First Iron Sword." It broke the dominant pattern of pre-Qin bronze weapons and is valuable evidence of the beginnings of iron smelting technology in China. The combination of the warm jade hilt and the sharp iron blade fully demonstrates the aesthetic and craftsmanship of the Western Zhou nobility. The Lotus and Crane Square Pot in the Spring and Autumn Period exhibition hall is undoubtedly the "face of the Central Plains bronze art." Dragon-shaped handles cling to both sides of the pot, which is fully decorated with coiled dragon patterns. The lid features double-layered lotus petals, and in the center, a crane raises its head and spreads its wings, poised for flight. It departs from the solemnity and weight of Shang and Zhou bronzes, incorporating a fresh and lively realistic style. It is a material symbol of the intellectual liberation and cultural innovation of the Spring and Autumn Period, showcasing the beauty of the fusion between Chu and Central Plains cultures. Next to it, the Cloud Pattern Bronze Stand amazed me with the advanced technology of the ancients. This wine vessel stand, unearthed from a Spring and Autumn Period Chu tomb, was cast entirely using the lost-wax method. The intricately layered openwork cloud patterns are exquisite and translucent, showing no signs of casting. The lost-wax method is a pinnacle of bronze casting technology in the world. This bronze stand not only bears witness to the Western Zhou Dynasty's "prohibition of alcohol" system but also proves that China mastered this superb technique more than two thousand years ago. This heavy vessel, weighing nearly one hundred kilograms, is as delicate as condensed clouds. Stepping into the Han Dynasty exhibition hall, the mural depicting the Four Symbols amidst clouds immediately catches the eye. This early Western Han Dynasty mural centers on the Four Symbols—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—with interwoven cloud patterns. Its vibrant colors and flowing lines vividly portray the Han Dynasty's belief in immortality and its cosmology. As one of the earliest and best-preserved Han Dynasty murals in China, the red, black, white, and green pigments have remained unchanged for over a thousand years; every stroke is a romantic masterpiece of Han Dynasty art. In the Tang Dynasty exhibition hall, the gold tablet of Empress Wu Zetian gleams. This gold tablet, cast into Mount Song in her later years as a symbol of atonement, is crafted from pure gold and bears clear inscriptions. It is the only extant gold tablet cast by a Tang Dynasty emperor. Small and thin, the inscription records Wu Zetian's prayers for blessings, revealing the state of mind of the empress in her later years and providing unique material evidence for the study of Tang Dynasty sacrificial rituals and the history of the Wu Zhou Dynasty. Within the luster of gold lies the hidden past of the glorious Tang Dynasty imperial family. Finally, in the Song Dynasty exhibition hall, I lingered for a long time at the Ru ware sky-blue glazed carved goose-neck vase. Ru ware is considered the foremost of the five great kilns of the Song Dynasty, with very few surviving pieces. This goose-neck vase, 19.5 cm tall, boasts a warm, jade-like sky-blue glaze and delicate, elegant carvings, making it a rare masterpiece of Ru ware. The glaze, reminiscent of "the sky after rain, where the clouds break," and the minimalist yet elegant form, perfectly embody the aesthetic tastes of Song Dynasty literati and represent an insurmountable peak in the history of Chinese ceramics. Besides the nine national treasures, other artifacts in the exhibition hall, such as the Wangsun Gao chime bells, the seven-pearl linked jade pendant, and the white-glazed green-painted long-necked vase, also tell the story of the prosperous past of the Central Plains. For over three hours, my steps never faltered, my gaze constantly drawn to these treasures spanning millennia. As I left the museum, the setting sun bathed this hall of Central Plains civilization in a warm golden glow. This trip to explore ancient sites during my winter break not only allowed me to clearly see the form and craftsmanship of each key cultural relic, but also gave me a deeper understanding of the profound heritage of Henan as the heartland of Chinese civilization. Each artifact, a testament to a thousand years of history, tells a story of cultural lineage. These relics are not only witnesses to history but also the key to the enduring vitality of Chinese civilization. This experience will become one of my most precious memories from my winter break.