The Secret of Casting Bronze

China has a rich history of over 5,000 years of artistic advancement and is the birthplace of one of the world's oldest civilizations. An important part of this advancement is that by 1100 BC, the Chinese had achieved a high level of artistic and technical excellence in bronze casting.

History of Tea Cultivation

Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages in the world. China is where tea originated, and the Chinese were the first people in the world to develop the habit of drinking tea.

Origin of Soybean Domestication

Soybean, called "Shu" in ancient times, is one of the five traditional cereals in China,  not only as a major edible oil crop but also an important source of plant protein. China is recognized as the origin of soybean domestication by domestic and foreign academics.

Sericulture's Ancient Beginnings

China is the first country in the world to raise silkworms and make silks. Before cotton was introduced to the Yangtze and Yellow River basins, silk was one of the main raw materials for clothing and quilts in ancient China, and silk weaving was an important material for economic exchanges in agricultural and pastoral areas.

Oracle Bone Script: Signature of Ancient Chinese

Oracle bone inscriptions are the oldest form of Chinese characters engraved on turtle shells or animal bones. They were used for divination and recording events in the late Shang Dynasty (1400-1100 B.C.) They are the earliest known systematic and mature writing in China and even East Asia.

Wang Mang Caliper: A Mysterious Ancient Invention

One of the priceless exhibits at the National Museum of China in Beijing is a 2,000-year-old caliper unearthed in an Eastern Han tomb in Hanjiang, a county in Jiangsu province, east China. Almost identical to the calipers used today, it was named the Wang Mang caliper after its inventor Wang Mang (45 BC-23 AD), who was the emperor of the nAew Han dynasty, as well as a reformer and statesman.

Southward-pointing Cart Mechanics

The southward-pointing cart was a historic mechanical device, which was invented and used earlier than the compass. More than five thousand years ago, ancient Chinese had utilized it to indicate direction.

Baodun Culture Fills Gap in History

The Baodun Culture is a late Neolithic culture that developed in the Chengdu Plain in southwestern China and its adjacent region from 2500-1700 B.C.

Louche: Ancestor of the Modern Seed Drill

The louche, also known as a drill sowing vehicle, was a mobile animal-powered agricultural sowing machine invented by Zhao Guo, a Chinese agronomist and official in charge of agricultural production during the Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AC).

Hunyi：A Symbol of Ancient Chinese Astronomy

Hunyi (An armillary sphere) is an ancient Chinese astronomical instrument, which consists of a circular spherical frame centered on Earth or the Sun, representing the longitude and latitude of the celestial body and other astronomical features, such as the zodiac. The Chinese armillary sphere, based on the Armillary Theory, is the symbol of ancient Chinese astronomy.

Percussion Drill: A Revolution in Salt Mining

The percussion drill, a large type of rotary drill with an impact mechanism that produces a hammering motion, was invented by Chinese during the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Cangzhou Iron Lion Roars For Millennia

Setting the Bronze Standard

The Qin bronze chariots refer to two sets of large painted bronze models of chariots and horses, and their carriages, excavated in 1980 from the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor, Qin Shi Huang (247-220 BC), in Lintong, Shaanxi province.

Bast Fibers Strengthen Forbidden City Walls

Warring States Period Bronze Lamp On Display

A Warring States Period Qin tripod-shaped bronze lamp was unearthed in 1974 in Pingliang, Gansu province, an important part of the Silk Road. The lamp is now on display in the Gansu Provincial Museum because of its unique scientific and historical value.

Su Song: Awe-inspiring Scientist in Ancient China

About 1,000 years ago, a hydro-mechanical astronomical clock tower was built in central China during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), creating a number of world-firsts. The biggest contributor to the nearly 12-meter high tower was Su Song, polymathic scientist and statesman.

Brick Carving: The Art of Depicting on Blue Bricks

Brick carving, an art form in Chinese architectural sculpture, refers to the intricate craftsmanship of carving landscapes, flowers, figures, and other rich patterns on blue bricks.

Xiaoxitian Temple: A Trove of Chinese Suspended Sculpture

In Chinese Buddhist statue art, suspended sculpture is a relatively uncommon form of art. Suspended sculptures are typically supported by walls or beams, with colorful sculptures hanging on fixed wooden frames.

Time Travel Through Technology

​On November 17, iconic Southern Tang (937–975) Dynasty painter Gu Hongzhong and his masterpiece the Night Revels of Han Xizai, a massive scroll-painting over 300 cm long detailing in five progressive sections a banquet thrown by a minister with music and dancing,came alive in Beijing through the wonders of modern technology.

Ancient Hand Warmer: a Hot Item

The hand warmer, a small, often square or round mini portable furnace filled with burning charcoal, with a hollow lid on top, is one of the innovative winter heating devices used in ancient China. Usually made of copper or enamel, the hand warmer could fit in the hand or be placed in the sleeve for heating, similar to the heating pads used today.