Art in China

The Shanghai Museum holds a number of national treasures, and make sure to check out China's provincial museums as well.

Journey to the Purple Mountain and the burial of the first Ming emperor

Imagine peering into a cave and seeing a monumental carved Buddha peer right back at you.

A 14th-century physician climbs Mount Hua.

A Chinese garden in which each perspective was carefully orchestrated to achieve beauty and a sense of pleasure for the visitor.

The emperor's terracotta army was intended to demonstrate his power in this life, and to extend it into the world of the dead.

An imperial surprise: staging Europe in China

Every inch of this contemplative space was carefully crafted—there’s bamboo, patterned paving, and scholar’s rocks.

The writing on these bones is 3000 years old, but scholars can decipher an incredible 40 percent of the characters.

Not for everyday use, this ritual bronze vessel is significant in function and in heft. It weighs over 400 pounds!

“Beautiful women paintings” provide insight into ideals of beauty and other social customs at the Tang court.

Unroll this handscroll and experience a spectacular panorama of rounded mountains, lush trees, and flowing water.

Covering 178 acres, this gated complex was a “golden cage” for China’s emperors and courtiers. It is now a museum.

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