AFTER five years of restoration, Hangzhou Museum’s South Pavilion will re-open to visitors this month. Its thousands of antique items and artefacts, ranging in time from the Neolithic Age to the Republic of China period (1911-1949), display the historic development of the city and its rich culture. The exhibition space covers 7,000 square meters and multi-media technology is used to depict original scenes of old Hangzhou and aspects of precious relics.

The antiques are divided into five categories: the Paleolithic Age to the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-589); Sui Dynasty (AD 581-618) to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-979); Song Dynasty (960-1279); Yuan (1271-1368) to Qing (1644-1911) dynasties; and the Republic of China.

Each category has its own highlights which in turn showcase the city’s history and culture. The pavilion is regarded as an ideal venue to learn more about Hangzhou as all exhibits were excavated from the city and its surrounding counties.

The oldest antique dates back to the Paleolithic Age, the tooth of a 30-year-old man that was unearthed in Jiande County. It has been used to prove that 50,000 years ago the forefathers of Hangzhou people had already started living in the area. They lived in caves and cultivated crops on the plains, ultimately creating the Kuahu Bridge culture and Liangzhu culture.

Grains discovered at the Kuahu Bridge Ruin indicate rice was harvested in the area 1,000 years earlier than previously believed. Liangzhu Culture is considered the “first light” of Chinese civilization and the origin of jade culture. The displayed yuzong, a cylinder jadeware, is carved with mythical creature patterns. The shape symbolizes the sun and moon’s orbits in Liangzhu Culture. Another highlight of the first category is a crystal glass cup made in the Warring States Period (476-221 BC). Chinese jade production reached a peak during this period and stimulated the development of other crafts.

The glass was made from a piece of natural crystal which had no pattern. It is believed to be the biggest piece of crystal craft ever discovered in China and could typify the crystal handcraft levels of that period.

The Warring States Period was also a prime time for forging bronze swords. Hangzhou was located at the borders of the Wu and Yue kingdoms during that period and became a strategic battleground where wars frequently took place. Thus the bronze black-smithing industry developed quickly. The geometric patterned, double-edged bronze sword on display measures 49.1 centimeters long and was a classic weapon of the day.

Another classic bronze article is the bianzhong, an ancient Chinese musical instrument that consists of a set of bronze bells. Its use was restricted to ritual music played in the imperial court. The exhibition features two varieties of bianzhong, the bronze version and a porcelain version, the latter easily surviving many centuries of burial.

Hangzhou’s political status in China is also introduced in this section. It was during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) that the royal court set up county-level government in Hangzhou, a result of its growing population. After more than 800 years of development, Hangzhou was upgraded to prefecture-level during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

Later, the Jin Kingdom’s developmental focus moved southward, which in turn made Hangzhou’s science, art, craft and literature develop quickly. The porcelain-making industry boomed. The Yue Kiln came into being during the period and began to produce all styles of ceramics and porcelain, the items’ uses ranging from daily activity to burial objects. The exhibits demonstrate the porcelain designs of the era that emphasized both practicality and beauty. Many of the items feature animal shapes with ritual meanings.

The second category of the exhibition covers the span of years from the Sui Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods. The emperors of the Wu Kingdom (in present-day Zhejiang Province) adopted a peaceful strategy so the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms periods were comparatively devoid of war compared to earlier kingdoms. This settled period laid the foundations for Hangzhou’s prosperity.

The Yue Kiln reached the peak of productivity during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Historians consider the celadon made in this period typifies the best ever produced. It was also during this period that celadon began to spread to other countries.

The noted mi se (secret color) celadon has been famous throughout history, though modern people still have no idea how to produce it. The exhibition features a number of exquisite celadon made in the period and highlights ancient Hangzhou craftsmen’s wisdom and techniques.

In addition to celadon, other highlights of the category are the Buddhist relics. Hangzhou is described as “Southeast Buddhist Country” because of its many temples and devout followers. The city’s tradition of worshiping Buddha started from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era and most of the existing temples were built then. The exhibition features a bronze pagoda carved with Buddhist inscriptions and epitomizes a classic Buddhist relic of the period.

The museum’s third section showcases Hangzhou’s development during the Song Dynasty when it evolved from a prefecture into a capital and was at its prime. As the city was made capital during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), a majority of the displayed antiques were excavated from former imperial palaces.

Ruins of a couple of Southern Song imperial palaces, streets and ancestral temples have been discovered across the city, providing archeologists with a large number of relics to further research the history of the dynasty. The exhibits, including tiles and stone slabs, reflect splendid building standards. The tiles, for example, were sculptured with symmetric floral patterns and were used in up-turned eaves; and the celadon was apparently more gorgeous than in earlier dynasties.

In addition to structural artefacts, antiques from the royal family are also highlighted. The Southern Song emperors were noted for their calligraphy and ink paintings and are thus presented in a study arrangement. Indispensible Chinese brushes, Chinese ink, ink sticks, rice paper and incense burners are featured.

The Song Dynasty’s prosperity drove the development of every industry, especially gold blacksmithing. Gold hairpins and combs on display are engraved with sophisticated patterns and threads and, separate from these accessories, gold leaves and ingots carved with characters are featured.

The museum’s fourth section covers the period from the Yuan to Qing dynasties. Though Hangzhou had been downgraded to a provincial-level city by this time, its economy and culture still continued to develop. The featured highlights include calligraphy works, paintings and books.

Four art academies grew out of groups of Hangzhou painters during this period, namely the Wansong, Ziyang, Chongwen and Gujing. In addition, the Wulin and Zhejiang painting schools gradually came into being and their combined output represents a traditional Hangzhou painting style.

Another important historic event during the period was establishment of Wenlan Pavilion on Solitary Hill at the West Lake. Archival material suggests more than 36,300 ancient books were collected in the pavilion. Importantly, the pavilion played the role of library, allowing scholars at the time to read for free. Though the pavilion was later destroyed, the ancient books have been preserved.

The exhibition’s final section introduces Hangzhou’s modern education, especially the establishment of Zhejiang University and the China Academy of Art. The opening of West Lake Expo and development of Xiling Seal Society are also featured.

Date: Through December 20 (closed on Mondays)

Address: No. 18, Liangdao Hill