#Taiyuan Beiqi Bihua Museum Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)
Museums
Address:
山西省太原市迎澤區南內環東街與東峯路交匯處西南方向
Opening times:
Open tomorrow at 09:00-17:00(Admission ends at 16:30)Closed Today
Recommended sightseeing time:
1-2 hours
Faint-hearted, beware—Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum
The great tomb was constructed on its original site, with the tomb passage, corridor, and stone doors all clearly visible through the glass windows.
Murals, pottery figurines, and tomb-guarding beasts, faint-hearted, beware, this is the Northern Qi Mural Museum.
aelin_1526
The Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum is simply stunning
The Northern Qi Mural Museum was established on the original site of Xu Xianxiu's tomb from the Northern Qi dynasty, and it is China's first site-type tomb mural art-themed museum. Seeing the real tomb passage for the first time, the biggest feeling is shock.
The original murals of the Northern Qi Mural Museum will be on display until May 18th, after which they will return to the storage. Therefore, everyone is rushing to appreciate them recently. It's not easy to book on weekends, but you can still enter smoothly by scanning the 'on-site reservation code' on the same day. If you're not sure, you can try to book early in the morning on the day of your visit, or you can just scan it when you arrive on-site.
The museum has three exhibition halls. The first chapter, 'Capital Splendor,' displays the unearthed Northern Qi tomb murals, introducing the background of the creation of the Northern Qi tomb murals, and exhibits murals such as the Lou Rui tomb and the Northern Dynasty tombs at Jiuyuangang in Xinzhou... Among them, the 'Horse Riding and Hunting Picture' (Figures 5-6) is prohibited from being exhibited abroad. It is said that it has only been displayed twice so far and will soon be returned to storage, a rare and not-to-be-missed opportunity.
The second chapter, 'A Glimpse of a Thousand Years,' is the most important part of the exhibition hall of the Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum (Figures 1-4). It is divided into three units, displaying from the perspectives of archaeological discovery, original site exhibition, and scientific protection, and explains in detail the history of Xu Xianxiu's tomb with murals from the Northern Qi. Figure 1 shows the full view of the tomb passage and the mound, which looks like a three-story building has been cut open, with the ground mound (with a robbery hole) on top, the ground layer in the middle, and the tomb passage leading to the tomb chamber below, which also includes the passage and the tomb chamber. Although the tomb passage and chamber are not open to the public, just viewing them on-site is enough to touch one's heart and soul.
The third chapter, 'Simple Standard of Beauty,' displays murals from the tombs of Lou Rui in Taiyuan, Jiuyuangang in Xinzhou, and Shuiquanliang in Shuozhou.
The Northern Qi Mural Museum does have some barriers to entry. Chen Danqing said that the Northern Qi murals represent the highest realm of line aesthetics in Chinese painting, so it's recommended to do some homework before visiting. Of course, you can also wait for the free explanation at 15:00, but as there are many listeners, it is still recommended to look around first and then follow the guide.
Tickets: Free, but advance reservation is required. Closed on Mondays
⏰Volunteer explanations:
Tuesday-Friday: One session at 10:00 and 15:00
Weekends: Sessions at 10:00, 11:00, 15:00, and 16:00
The free explanation lasts for 1 hour, and there is currently no paid explanation. If you need an explanation, please check the session times before you go! If you really can't make it, you can first go to Exhibition Hall 3⃣️ to watch the video explanation on the big screen, which is also very detailed!
Couple Banquet Picture
Gate Tower Picture - Replica
Horse Riding and Hunting Picture
Hunting Picture
Ascension Picture
Although the museum is built on top of Xu Xianxiu's tomb, the tomb passage is not open for visitors to go down. There are VR glasses on both sides of the earth mound in the second exhibition hall, which allow you to experience standing in the tomb chamber and viewing the murals in 360 degrees. You can also wear glasses if you are nearsighted.
The museum is based on the original site protection of Xu Xianxiu's tomb from the Northern Qi dynasty, with three exhibition halls: the first exhibition hall 'Capital Splendor,' the second exhibition hall 'A Glimpse of a Thousand Years,' and the third exhibition hall 'Simple Standard of Beauty - Shanxi Northern Qi Mural Art Exhibition,' which brings together murals from the tombs of Lou Rui, Jiuyuangang, and Shuiquanliang from the Northern Dynasties period. Through original displays and immersive experiences, it comprehensively interprets the history of the Northern Dynasties and the artistic characteristics of Northern Qi murals, recreating the social appearance and the spiritual demeanor of the ancients;
Transportation information
🚌Bus: Y7 Tourism Special Line (Songzhuang Parking Station - Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum)
🚕Taxi: It is recommended to take a taxi to the parking lot. There is a long flight of stairs at the entrance, so please be careful if you are carrying luggage, as it can be quite tiring to carry it up;
🛅Luggage storage🛅
There is a sign on the right side of the main entrance, and a 20-inch suitcase can also be stored. The security sister has a very bad attitude, and if you accidentally lose the storage locker ticket, it can be very troublesome to open the locker.
ADELYN MITCHELL
Shanxi
Taiyuan City. Northern Qi Mural Museum.
The Northern Qi Mural Museum in Taiyuan City (Wangjiafeng Tomb Group—Xu Xianxiu's Tomb) is a mural tomb museum built and protected on the original site of the tomb of Xu Xianxiu, the Taiwei and Prince of Wu'an during the Northern Qi Dynasty. It also borrowed the original murals from the Taiyuan Lou Rui Tomb, Xinzhou Jiuyuangang Tomb, and Shuozhou Shuiquanliang Tomb from the Shanxi Provincial Museum for display. It is also the first museum in the country to display mural tombs.