Check in at Henan Museum

Nine Major Treasures of the Museum: ● Jiahu Bone Flute First Floor, Exhibition Hall 1 Era: Neolithic Period (approximately 7800-9000 years ago) Features: Made from the ulna bone of a crane, it is the world's earliest playable musical instrument, capable of producing a seven-tone scale. It rewrote the history of Chinese music and proved that prehistoric humans possessed advanced musical and mathematical abilities. ● Duling Square Ding First Floor, Exhibition Hall 2 Era: Mid-Shang Dynasty Features: One of the earliest discovered bronze square ding vessels, with a majestic shape and simple patterns. It symbolizes early Shang royal power and provides key evidence that Zhengzhou Shang City was the capital of the Shang Dynasty. ● Fuhao Owl Zun First Floor, Exhibition Hall 2 Era: Late Shang Dynasty Features: A bronze wine vessel shaped like an owl, covered with intricate patterns. It was a burial item of Fuhao, Queen of King Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty, reflecting the advanced bronze casting technology and unique aesthetics of the Shang period. ● Jade-Handled Iron Sword First Floor, Exhibition Hall 3 Era: Late Western Zhou Features: The earliest iron artifact in China, combining iron, copper, and jade materials. It pushes back the history of Chinese iron smelting by nearly two centuries and marks the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. ● Lotus Crane Square Pot First Floor, Exhibition Hall 4 Era: Spring and Autumn Period Features: The pot’s lid features a crane about to take flight, and the base is shaped like lotus petals. It breaks the solemn style of Shang and Zhou bronzes, symbolizing the intellectual liberation and artistic innovation of the Spring and Autumn period. It is praised as the "Swan Song of the Bronze Age." ● Cloud Pattern Bronze Censer Fourth Floor, Exhibition Hall 13 Era: Spring and Autumn Period Features: Cast using the lost-wax method, the vessel is covered with multi-layered openwork cloud patterns. The craftsmanship is complex and exquisite, making it the earliest lost-wax bronze artifact discovered so far, showcasing the pinnacle of bronze casting technology in the Spring and Autumn period. ● Four Divine Beasts and Cloud Qi Mural Second Floor, Exhibition Hall 5 Era: Early Western Han Features: The earliest and best-preserved tomb mural in China, featuring the four divine beasts: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. The colors are vivid, and the lines are smooth, reflecting the Han Dynasty’s cosmology and funerary culture. ● Wu Zetian’s Gold Slip Second Floor, Exhibition Hall 7 Era: Tang Dynasty Features: The only surviving artifact directly related to Wu Zetian, inscribed with a prayer for forgiveness from heaven. It reflects the religious beliefs and fengshan (imperial sacrifice) system of the Tang Dynasty. ● Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glaze Carved Goose Neck Vase Third Floor, Exhibition Hall 10 Era: Northern Song Dynasty Features: The only surviving Ru kiln piece with sky blue glaze and carved decoration. The glaze is glossy, and the carving is exquisite, representing the minimalist aesthetics of the Song Dynasty. It is hailed as the "Pearl on the Crown of Ru Porcelain."