China's first provincial bronze museum to debut in Shanxi

Shanxi Bronze Museum, China's first provincial-level bronze museum, will be unveiled in Changfeng Business District in Taiyuan, in Shanxi province, in mid-July, according to local officials. 

The museum, covering an exhibition area of 11,000 square meters, will exhibit more than 2,200 pieces of bronze objects excavated in Shanxi. In addition to ancient bronze ware retrieved by various government departments in Shanxi, important finds made by archaeological excavations in the province will also be on show. 

The displays in the museum, based on the theme "Glories of the Bronze Age", are divided into three parts: "Foundations of Chinese Civilization", "World of Rites and Music" and "Models of Bronze Ware Craftsmanship".

The "Foundations of Chinese Civilization" section tells of the special status of Shanxi culture in the inheritance and development of China's civilization and explores the spiritual core and cultural background behind the bronzes. 

The "World of Rites and Music" part looks at Chinese bronze ware used as ritual vessels and the difference between Chinese bronze ware and bronzes of other ancient civilizations in the world. 

The "Models of Bronze Ware Craftsmanship" section describes the process of making bronze ware in ancient times, reflecting the advanced skills and contributions of ancient bronze ware casting. 

The three parts represent the characteristics of Shanxi bronze culture and the core content of Chinese bronze culture. 

To give visitors a better experience and understanding of bronze culture, Shanxi Bronze Museum is taking advantage of digital demonstrations and interactive educational features in the exhibition area. 

"We use the bronzes discovered in Shanxi to tell the story of Chinese bronzes and use three dimensions…to describe the stories of the Shanxi bronzes," said Ning Lixin, deputy director of the preparatory office of the Shanxi Bronze Museum.