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    Zhouyuan Museum

    Written by: Luo Zhewen
    Posted on: May 27, 2015 |

    Zhouyuan Museum, China

    Zhouyuan is an ancient region with more than 3,000 years of history. It is located in the western part of the Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province, and includes one of the capitals of the early period of the Zhou Dynasty. Historically, it was known as "Qi Zhou." The cultural relics both on and below ground are especially rich, and the large quantity of bronze excavated here is internationally famous. In 1982, the region was declared by the State Council as a National Key Cultural Relics Protected Unit.

    The Zhouyuan Museum was built on the foundation of the Zhouyuan excavation site. It was formerly the site of two Cultural Relics Protection and Management Institutes called Zhouyuan Qishan and Fufeng. In 1986, these were combined to form the Zhouyuan Museum, which is located in Fugang County, Famen Town, Shaochen Village.

    The Zhouyuan Museum's exhibitions are divided into indoor and outdoor components. The outside exhibitions are mainly the Village Ancestral Temple and the Shaochen Village Palace, a large-scale architectural grouping. These provide a valuable resource for researching Western Zhou architecture and technology, and the political, economic and cultural systems of the court at that time. These have helped fill in the void which existed in ancient Chinese architectural history.

    Zhouyuan Museum, China

    The indoor exhibitions mainly include the Zhouyuan Excavated Artifacts Exhibit, the Zhouyuan Historical Cultural Relics Exhibit, the Western Zhou Calligraphy and Arts Exhibit, the Western Zhou Wine-Culture Exhibit, and the special exhibit at Famen Temple, called the Zhouyuan Precious Cultural Relics Special Exhibit. These exhibits display some 3,000 items excavated at the Zhouyuan site, including bronze, jades, bones, ceramics, tortoise shells and scapula bones used for divination, and so on.

    At the exhibition, people can view various bronze items from three-thousand years ago. One has 284 characters inscribed on the bottom of its interior, relating the history of six previous kings of Western Zhou and the important accomplishments of the seventh king, in power at the time the bronze was made. It also records the family history of the owner of the vessel, providing reliable data for researching Zhou-dynasty history.

    In the Western Zhou Wine-Culture Exhibition, around one hundred specimens of materials for fermenting alcohol, vessels for fermentation, articles for warming wine, mixing alcohols and so on are exhibited. China's earliest ceramic-material architectural tiles are also on display, which date to around six to seven-hundred years earlier than the Qin bricks and Han tiles of Chinese tradition.

    In the exhibit, people can also see valuable Western Zhou "jiaguwen" or oracle bone inscriptions, which record the relations between Zhou people and the Shang court, as well as other countries. In the calligraphy section, western Zhou calligraphy that has been excavated in recent years is also on display.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021