Qingzhou Museum

Throughout history, Qingzhou, as the foremost of the ancient "Nine Provinces," served as the political, economic, military, cultural, and trade center of the Shandong region from the Han dynasty to the early Ming dynasty. It has a history of being a national capital for 12 years, a provincial political and cultural center for 1,065 years, a prefectural seat since 1606, and a county seat for over 2,200 years. The artifacts in the exhibition connect memories from various historical periods of Qingzhou. Whether it is pottery reflecting Dongyi culture or currency and salt boiling tools that witnessed the prosperity of the Qi region, they all carry profound cultural connotations, allowing visitors to deeply appreciate Qingzhou’s unique charm and historical heritage as the "Most Trustworthy and Beautiful First Province of the East."

Key Exhibits

● Gold Ring Pommel from the Xixin Warring States Tomb: This is a metal pommel for a sword or knife, installed at the end of the handle, serving both practical and decorative functions. Practically, it balances the weight of the blade and prevents the hand from slipping off during use; the handle is decorated with a mythical beast combining a deer and an eagle, symbolizing the user’s social status. It belongs to the Scythian cultural style, providing evidence that Qingzhou had cultural and trade exchanges with foreign regions during the Warring States period, serving as a tangible witness to ancient East-West communication.
● Longshan Culture Incised Pottery Paddle: Excavated from the Qingzhou Longshan Culture site, this pottery tool dates back over 4,000 years to the Longshan Culture period. When used, ancestors held the pottery paddle to beat the surface of unfired pottery, which made the pottery denser and reduced cracking during firing. The beast-face pattern on the paddle’s surface could imprint decorative patterns on the pottery, serving both as a handicraft tool and a primitive art medium. The paddle’s surface features finely incised beast-face patterns, simple and abstract yet full of tension, representing the artistic aesthetics and pottery-making technology of the Longshan Culture period. It vividly reflects the primitive handicraft level and spiritual culture of the Qingzhou area over 4,000 years ago.
● Eastern Han Dynasty "Yi Zi Sun" Jade Bi: This jade bi was used by Eastern Han nobles for ceremonial and funerary purposes. As a ceremonial jade, it was used in rituals and court assemblies, symbolizing status and rites; as a funerary jade, it was often placed beside the tomb owner. The inscription "Yi Zi Sun" expresses wishes for family prosperity and long-lasting descendants. The jade bi’s smooth texture was also believed to protect the deceased’s peace. Made of pale green jade with some brown staining, it was crafted using openwork carving and incised techniques. The main body is decorated with grain patterns, and the edge is open-carved with the three characters "Yi Zi Sun" in seal script, with flowing and natural strokes complementing the jade’s smooth texture. "Yi Zi Sun" symbolizes family prosperity and long lineage, representing the maturity of jade craftsmanship in the Eastern Han and reflecting the noble class’s funerary beliefs and blessing culture in Qingzhou at that time.
● Zhao Bingzhong’s Top Scholar Examination Scroll: This is the only surviving original top scholar scroll from the Ming dynasty, belonging to Zhao Bingzhong, a top scholar from Qingzhou in the 26th year of the Wanli reign (1598). The scroll measures 33 cm vertically and 47.6 cm horizontally, containing 2,460 characters written in small regular script with neat and elegant handwriting and no corrections. The content closely addresses the topic "Ask about the governance and the heart of the emperor," with profound arguments and detailed strategies, reflecting Confucian governance ideas and Zhao Bingzhong’s political insights. As a direct physical evidence of the imperial examination system, it not only symbolizes the cultural prosperity of Qingzhou but also fills the gap in physical documents of Ming dynasty imperial exams, holding extremely high historical and cultural value.

Post by MERCY NEWTON | Oct 18, 2025