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Situated on the top of
the Pipashan Mountain, Chongqing Museum was founded in 1951 as the Southwest Museum
and was renamed as Chongqing Museum in 1955. Covering a construction area of 5500
sqm, the museum has over 40 exhibiting halls with about 100,000 pieces of relics,
which spans over 3000 years history from the ancient Kingdom of Ba and the near-mythical
Long Brilliance Period to World War Two and the Chinese Revolution. These
antiquities mainly include bronze wares, pottery, paintings, porcelain, sculptures,
etc, of which relics of Ba-Shu culture, painting of various dynasties, terra-cotta
and sculpture of the Han dynasty and pottery and porcelain are most famous. Relics
of the Ba-Shu culture: In this section, Ba-Shu bronze weapons are most noticeable.
Exquisitely made and elaborately engraved, these weapons, especially " Round
top axe " and " Spear with two rings " , all express distinctive local
features of the Ba culture. Terra
cottas and sculptures of the Han dynasty: These exhibits reflect the social life
of the Han dynasty with their vivid appearances and designs. Various pottery figures,
including storytellers, singers and dancers, musicians, cooks, etc, are meticulously
carved with lifelike expressions and the surface carving of picture bricks and
stones describe incisively people's yearning for a happy life. Pottery
and porcelain: Sichuan kilns have special local characteristics. In this section,
Tang Tri-color Pottery products of the Qiong kiln are the most famous. Also, purple
clay ware (Zisha) of the Ming and Qing dynasties also exhibited in this section. The
museum also has systematic collections of traditional cultural relics including:
pictures and calligraphies of masters since the Song dynasty. | |