Must-See National Treasures Guide at Nanjing Museum

🌟 Nanjing Museum: Touch the Civilization Code of the Six Dynasties Ancient Capital

Nanjing, a city that flourished through six dynasties, is steeped in profound history everywhere. Stepping into the Nanjing Museum is like opening a three-dimensional textbook of civilization. Its predecessor was the Preparatory Office of the National Central Museum established in 1933 by Mr. Cai Yuanpei. The main building, designed by Liang Sicheng in the "Liao style," with gray tiles and flying eaves, holds half of China's cultural heritage.

🏛️ Must-See Treasures of the Museum
1. Gold Seal of King Guangling
At the corner of the History Hall, this pure gold seal from the Eastern Han Dynasty will take your breath away. It belonged to Liu Jing, King Guangling of the Eastern Han. The seal knob features an adorably plump turtle, yet it is engraved with the most solemn characters "King Guangling Seal." Interestingly, its excavation resolved a century-long debate over the authenticity of the Japanese "Han Weniukoku King" gold seal.

2. Brick Painting of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
Entering the Six Dynasties Exhibition Hall, this brick painting from a Southern Dynasties tomb will overturn your perception of ancient people as "serious." Ji Kang playing the zither, Ruan Ji drinking wine, the scholars’ casual postures with bare chests and exposed abdomens, and the flowing garment folds all exude the spirit of the Wei and Jin periods. Upon closer look, each figure has their name inscribed in clerical script, making it the earliest "celebrity friend circle."

3. Red Glaze Plum Vase with the Three Friends of Winter Pattern
In the Porcelain Hall of the Art Gallery, this precious piece from the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty will show you what "red to the point of purple" means. The white glaze body is decorated with pine, bamboo, and plum patterns in red glaze that looks like spreading rouge. This copper ion-based red glaze has a success rate of less than one percent, with fewer than a hundred pieces surviving.

📜 Fun Trivia
• In the Bronze Ware Exhibition Hall, the "Nao" from the Western Zhou Dynasty is the world’s earliest military musical instrument. Its buzzing sound could be heard up to 3 kilometers away on the battlefield.
• The Republic of China Hall features a replica of the "Central Research Institute" doorplate, where Fu Sinian once broke a Ming Dynasty vase gifted by Hu Shi.
• The Special Exhibition Hall often displays Nanjing Museum’s "internet-famous" artifact—the gilded jade-inlaid belt from the tomb of Ming Dynasty general Mu Ying, weighing 1.8 kilograms yet ingeniously able to automatically adjust the waist size.

Tips: It’s recommended to head straight to the History Hall at 9 a.m. to avoid the peak crowds of tour groups. Remember to rent an AR guide headset at the service desk; when the artifacts in the display cases "come alive," you’ll see the gilded Buddha statue wink and smile at you.

Standing on the museum terrace overlooking Purple Mountain, the pines of the Six Dynasties seem to still echo the morning bells and evening drums of Jiankang City. These artifacts that have traveled through a thousand years are telling the story of the royal spirit of Jinling in their unique language.