Celebration for 80th Anniversary of Henan Museum  
       After 80 years long way, Henan Museum is receiving its 80th Anniversary. All the staffs of the museum will meet and hold a grand celebration for its 80th birth day on 6 Dec. The government of Henan Province and many other museums both abroad and at home give a great attention for this affair. At the same time the officials and the friends will enjoy and share the resplendent moment together with all the staffs of Henan Museum. Henan Museum 80th Anniversary is coming. Just at such a great moment, let’s recall the passed way of Henan Museum.

  

History of Henan Museum
  
1. From small Henan Museum to large Henan Museum
       Henan Museum is one of the oldest museums in China. In June, 1927, General Feng Yuxiang, commander in chief of the National Revolutionary Army and the chairman of Henan Province at that time, brought forward his opinion of “Education is Essential Politics for a Country” in his political programme for managing of Henan. That June, Guo Xujing, Xu Jinquan and He Rizhang were appointed by the provincial government as commissioners under the Provincial Education Office, to prepare construction of Henan Museum under the care of General Feng Yuxiang. The site designated for Henan Museum, was the schoolhouse of the former Legal and Law School, which was located at West Street, Kaifeng Court (Sansheng Temple Street, Kaifeng today) and thus the museum was born.
       At the same time the provincial government offered a part of confiscated bequest of Liu Shi Ancient Hall and asked the museum to open in limited time. With the tenet of “Enlightenment of Knowledge and Demos of Civilization; Proliferation of Revolutionary Ideas; Boosting of Social Civilization” the National Museum widely collected material concerning history, natural science, agriculture, art, physiological sanitation etc. and though lacking in collections, on October 10, 1928, held its first exhibition, which consisted largely of models.  

       On December 1, 1930, Henan Provincial Government changed “National Museum” back to “Henan Museum” as a social educational organ directly under the Provincial Educational Office. Guan Baiyi was appointed as the curator by the Educational Office on December 30 and the schoolhouse of the Demotic Normal School was taken as a showroom of antiques. On January 20, 1931 Henan Provincial Educational Office publicized “Organization Regulations for Henan Museum” with its tenet of “Developing its Connatural Culture; Advocating Learning and Study; Increasing People’s Knowledge; Boosting Social Civilization.” During the years from 1930 through 1937, The Museum was closed, and 68 boxes of key cultural relics were moved to Chongqing. During 1940 the Henan Museum was reopened under Japanese governance, as “Henan Provincial Museum” with several departments such as Affair Office, Storing Department and Investigation Department.

  

       In 1953, Henan Museum was confirmed as topologic one according to “Opinion about guideline, assignment, property and development direction for local museum” issued by the Central Cultural Ministry. In 1961 Henan Museum moved from Kaifeng to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan, where it enjoyed a superior exhibition space.
       After the Third Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Party, Henan Museum became improved gradually and entered a new historical era. Especially in the 1980s, the museum was growing larger and larger.
       Due to the frequent cultural exchange between countries and fast growing tourism, that came along with the “Reform and Opening to Outside” continuing deep into the 1990s, all museums in our country underwent a great development. But Henan Museum,   built in 1958 - the time of “Big Bound”, could not adapt to the development of museums today whether in architectural form, scale or inner establishment.
The new Museum, located in central Zhengzhou along Agriculture Road (Nongye), occupies an area over 100,000 square meters, with a floor area of 78,000 square meters. The project, a Renminbi 300,000,000 investment, was accomplished in 5 years. The main building, at the center of the grounds, is in the shape of pyramid. Behind it is a storeroom for culture relics, around it there are the electrified education building, combined service building, office building and training building. The constructed Museum sight is grandiose and precise, displaying primitive simplicity and elegance. It features the artistic style and culture of central China.  
       According to the State’s requirements for modern museums, the new museum possesses perfect facilities including automatic fire fighting system, safety supervising system, OA managing system, culture relics protecting system, electrified education system and building automation system. In July 1997, the Henan Provincial Government decided to merge Zhongyuan Stone Inscription Art Galleries with Henan Museum into a new Henan Museum. The establishment of this consolidated Henan Museum is a landmark in the development of Henan Museum as well as a very grand affair in the phylogeny of museums in China.

  

2. A large museum with rich collections started from scratch
         Henan, located in central China, is one of the important cradles of Chinese civilization. Our ancestors have long lived in these far-flung lands, multiplying and creating the bright and colorful ancient civilization, which laid a strong foundation for the development of Henan Museum.
Henan Museum set out to amass collections of culture relics in its establishment but worked with some blindness and liberty and recruited collections sometimes with the single aim of gathering rareness, so the collections were rather complex and not always good.
       From 1930 through 1936, the former Henan Museum had an abundant store of collections and had done lots of fruitful work on collecting, sorting out and studying. Especially under the leadership of Mr. Guan Baiyi, the museum took over all the culture relics kept by the Committee of Antique Conservation, including bronze ware of Spring and Autumn Period unearthed in 1923 in Xinzheng, cached porcelains of Song Dynasty unearthed in 1925 in Yanling town and stone inscriptions of different dynasties in Luoyang and other places. Large numbers of famous ancient paintings, calligraphy and modern artworks, collected in 1934 and 1935, greatly enriched the collections of the museum both in quality and quantity. The Museum arranged its team go out and work in the fields several times and found a lot of cultural relics. Collections in the museum in this period were not only large in quantity but also high in quality and rarity, such as the Quadrangular Jar with Lotus and Crane， large tripod caldrons，the Wang Ziyingci Stove, a Bell Set unearthed in Xinzheng, nine pieces of Jade Ruyi from Dengfeng, It received commendations: “Concerning amount of collections for Chinese museum, Henan Museum was in second place except Palace Museum”  

         Since 1954, the museum had been sending its team frequently to visit and investigate in the old revolutionary area, where they collected numbers of valuable revolutionary cultural relics. At the same time, the museum took over some revolutionary cultural relics and related material from the Provincial Military Authority and Provincial Civil Administration Hall.
       In recent years, along with the work in depth on cultural relics, archeological work has unearthed even more brilliant and elegant cultural artifacts. Under the support and solicitation of the Party and the Government of Henan Province, large quantities of brilliant cultural relics were called up from related units of the state, provinces and cities for supporting the construction of Henan Museum, taking advantage of the large province of Henan, so rich cultural relics emerged in gorgeous ancient culture.

  

3. From “National Models Display” to “Light of Ancient Culture of Henan”
       Display and exhibition are key tasks and Henan Museum has been working on from its beginning. The“Nationality Model Display” during “National Museum” period was the Henan Museum’s first exhibition. In that show the main exhibits were statues and some pictures, which showed National Models all over the world and attracted lots of people to Kaifeng, who blocked the road to the museum.
       In period from 1930 through 1937, the museum opened 13 showrooms based on widely collected historical cultural relics, folk-custom cultural relics and natural specimens, such as a showroom of unearthed utensils and articles from Yin Ruin, Anyang, a showroom of ancient utensils and articles of Xinzheng, a showroom of ancient utensils and articles of Luoyang, a showroom of rocks, a showroom of national models, a showroom of past collected cultural relics in Xiangguo Temple in Kaifeng, a showroom of carved stones, a showroom of stored scripture, a showroom of plant and mineral specimens, and a painting and calligraphy showroom. Henan Museum of that day was of a good size and was few among the good museums in China, though the display quality was not too high owing to a limited level of exhibition and the adoption of a display method that consisted of heaping utensils and articles under guide of an idea of “Only utensils and articles”.

       After the main collections were transferred to Chongqing in 1937, the museum was still open but the quality and quantity of collections were greatly inferior. The museum closed in 1938 when the Japanese aggression army occupied Kaifeng and did not re-open until 1940, when the museum was renamed “Henan Provincial Museum” under rule of the Japanese and its puppet government.  
       Henan Museum was revitalized after liberation. During 1949-1961, three basic displays “Natural Environment and Resources of Henan”, “History of Henan” and   “Revolutionary Cultural Relics of Henan” were held by the museum along with many other exhibitions, related to the key tasks and political movements of different period, also held, for example “Exhibition: From Ape to Human” in 1950, “Exhibition: Crackdown on Counterrevolution” in 1951, “Exhibition: Great Motherland” in 1952, “Exhibition of Bronze Wares” in 1952, “Exhibition of Raiment in Past Dynasties” in 1954 and “Exhibition: Root up Counter Revolutionists” in 1956.
       In the 20 years from 1977 through 1997, Henan Museum experienced much progress. It created vivid and dramatic displays and exhibitions and established its status as a promenant museum in China. For example, in 1980 the museum reopened “Display of Henan History” based on the old one from before the Cultural Revolution, by adding new content and adopting new displaying facilities and means, making it a more scientific, popular and real cultural treasure loved by the people. Since 1981, tens of exhibitions were held, such as “Display of Henan Revolutionary Cultural Relics”, “Display of Ancient Sculpture Art”, “Display of Ancient Architecture Art”, “Exhibition: Museum Collected Paintings and Calligraphy of Ming and Qing Dynasty”, “Exhibition: Museum Collected Brilliant Cultural Relics” and “Exhibition of Bronze Ware of Chu State”. These attracted more and more visitors year by year,   and the average attendance rose to 300000 annually.  
         After 6 years’gestation and lucubrating, based on the collective wisdom of Henan Museum and supported by leaders of the Central Committee, province, municipality and related units, Henan Museum held one basic display and 7 special displays, rich in content, such as “Light of Ancient Culture of Henan”,.In interpretive technology, the exhibition was equipped with computer controlled automatic amplifying, playing, recording and video system, sound controlled slide projector and induction recording and speaking system, which satisfied the visitors, desire to learn from and enjoy the cultural relics.              
       Henan Museum has been working hard, leading out the cultural relics of central China, bringing our treasured history to the rest of the world. For example, 8 pieces of bronze ware unearthed in Xinzheng were sent by Henan Museum to be shown in the   “International Exhibition of Chinese Art” held in 1935-1936 in London, which caused a big stir there and received high praise from overseas visitors. In 70 years, overseas exhibitions held or contributed to by Henan Museum abroad included: “Exhibition of Chinese Jewellery” held in 1980 The exhibitions strengthened friendship between China and other peoples of the world , and acquainted oversea visitors with Henan and with the long standing, far-reaching and intensive culture of central China.

4. From Journal of the Henan Museum to Cultural Relics of Central China
       Henan Museum, with a more than 70-year history, is not only a place that concentrates on collection of historical relics, cultural activities, and education, but is also at the forefront for scientific research. In particular, since the founding of the People’s Republic, talents have been emerging here constantly, achieving fruitful results in this regard.
       When the relics of the Yin Ruins were acquired by the museum in 1929, Guan Baiyi, a well-known archeologist, was invited to the Editorial Board to study and research the inscriptions on bones and tortoise shells and of the various articles unearthed, and published his findings. In late 1930s, Mr. Guan Baiyi took over the position of Museum Curator and founded the Research Department, standardizing the undertaking of scientific studies. According to incomplete statistics, over one hundred volumes of antique catalogs and research findings were publicized by Henan Museum between 1931~1938. 936, Xu Jingcan and Guo Yucai also took a part in the excavation at the Colored Glaze Pavilion, Huixian County.

       Since succeeding the post of the Curator by July 1936, Wang Youqiao, established the Journal of the Henan Museum to “bring forward the culture and research on the learning”. The Journal suspended in March 1938 because of the Japanese invasion. In the short a period of two years, 15 editions had been issued. Due to the resourceful content, the publication was so intriguing and fascinating that it was therefore known as “a feast for the eyes, and the grand overview of the culture of the ancient Central China”. The journals not only introduce in detail the history of Henan Museum, but also make available to the public a series of important theories, survey reports, and theses on archeology. Even until today they play a significant role as an academic resource.
           In 1977, Henan Wenbo Tongxun, the first provincial journal in China about cultural relics, was established by Henan Museum. The title of the publication was inscribed by Mr. Guo Moruo, the late famous archeologist and historian. Shortly after its issuance, the journal was drawing attention at home and abroad. In pursuit of more extensive influence, the journal began to be distributed to the public in China and overseas by 1980, and was renamed Cultural Relics of Central China in 1981. For over two decades Cultural Relics of Central China has been shouldering the responsibility of promoting the policies of cultural protection, bringing forward the outstanding national culture, strengthening the patriotic education, and advancing academic prosperity, and has evolved into an academic journal with regional characteristics and a unique style. These issues have reflected in detail the prospect of   undertaking museum studies in Central China from various aspects.
       The transition of Journal of the Henan Museum to Cultural Relics of Central China shows us, not only the brilliant progression of Henan Museum over seventy years, but it also helps us experience deeply the generations an unremitting effort behind the fruitful results in Henan Museum. The staff has exerted their utmost effort contributing to the development of the museum and the scientific research.. Mr. Guan Baiyi, famous Chinese scholar and archeologist of the 1930s, was one of the co-founders of Henan Museum. Profound in learning and prolific in writing, he was excellent and marvelously original in history, epigraphy, archeology, oracle bone and shell study, study of gazetteers etc. The pleasant tomorrow of Henan Museum is fully exhibited in those young professionals.
       Today’s achievement of Henan Museum was made possible through the care and support of governments at various levels and people from all walks of life, and also from the joint efforts of generations of museum staff. The unparalleled geographic conditions, abundant resources of cultural relics, and the unremitting effort of all the employees ensure Henan Museum’s continued contribution to Central China with more concrete steps, brand-new appearance, modernized management, and multipurpose service, in a pleasant, elegant and unique environment.

Highlights of Refined Collection

  

Fuyi Horn
Western Zhou Dynasty (Approximately 11th Century, B.C. ~ 711 B.C.)
Overall height 27cm, opening length 20.3cm, opening width.9.8cm
Unearthed in 1986 in Shihegang, Xinyang, Henan Province
       Since bronze horns had only been popular for a short period during late Shang and early Zhou Dynasties, a few articles have been unearthed. This Fuyi Horn, thanks to the clear-cut inscription, fine craftsmanship, and marvelous ornamentation, is much treasured among its counterparts.

  

Duck-shaped He (Wine Vessel)
Western Zhou Dynasty (Approximately 11th Century, B.C. ~ 711 B.C.)
Overall height 25.2cm, length 31.8cm.
Unearthed in 1988 at Yingguo Mausoleum, Pingdingshan, Henan Province
       This four-legged Wine Vessel can carry wine with Jue (another type of wine vessel), or carry water with tray. An inscription of 43 characters under the lid states that: The emissary Pu of the State Ying paid a visit to Lord Xing, the King of State Xing, in Shi. Lord Xing dispatched an official to receive Pu and had some presents delivered to him. Later, in memory of this, Pu had the   Wine Vessel made from the bronze donated by Lord Xing.
The He, ingenious and pleasant in configuration, bears the duck-like shape out of certain reason. This vessel has been devised according to the rigorous hierarchy of the Western Zhou Dynasty, under which nobles or rank, such as Pu, can only use utensils with figures like duck, goose etc. In this way it is obvious that the Duck-shaped He is not only an exquisite handicraft, but also a hard evidence for study on the etiquette system during Western Zhou.

  

Three footed kettle with tiger decoration
The Spring and Autumn Period (770AD---476AD)
Height: 18.5cm Caliber: 7.5cm Ventrolateral length: 16.8cm
Unearthed in Grave of Vassal Gu Shi, Henan Province
       The structure is peculiar in the northern tombs of the Zhou Dynasty period, and is full of northern features. The delicate tiger is cut in intaglio with refinement and natural lifelike composition. According to textural research, the grave found in the Vassal of Gu Shi was designated to the sister of the emperor Song Jing Gong.

  

Hua Xia Ancient Music Arts Orchestra, Henan Museum
  
History of the Music at the Central Plains
       Culture evolved and grew for nine thousand years, playing a significant role for China’s traditional music in the world history of music. The music of China’s Central Plains deserves the fame of a resplendent star, conspicuous in the world.
       Henan’s music has enjoyed unparalleled development. According to history, numerous records talk about the music of the Getian, the original tribes along the Yellow River, the music of Da Xia eulogizes Yu the Great that subdued the flood, and the Shang people that “Dance constantly at the palace and sing contently indoors”. The music of Zheng Wei, the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods, was most representative of the new-generation music, tirelessly entertaining the audience. In the expansive Central Plains, the vivid, enthusiastic folk music, well established, has maintained its dynamism for thousands of years.
       The music instruments unearthed in Henan in recent years have drawn worldwide attention, because of the diversity and quantity. Especially, the instruments from the remote antiquity which account for over ninety-percent of the musical instruments found in Henan. They include the Jiahu Bone Flute, with a history of some nine thousand years, unearthed at Jiahu, Wuyang, the Pottery Drum and Pottery Xun, with a five-thousand-year history, the Te Chime that belongs to the Longshan Culture of about four thousand years ago, the Bronze Bells of the Xia Palace of three thousand years ago, the Serial Cymbals and the Fish-shaped Chimes of the Yin Ruins, Anyang. Chinese musical archaeologist and temperament It has always been the treasured, constant pursuit for unaccountable Chinese musical archaeologists and temperament specialists to have such an imitated performance made utilizing those fine instruments.

Selected Performers
       In March 2003 we carried out recruitment to the public and, after strict exams and selections, 17 excellent players and 1 compere were chosen. We selected 4 wind instrument players for an ancient flute, a stone pai-xiao, a yun and a sheng, respectively; 2 percussion instrument players for a drum and chime bell. 4 stringed instrument players to play the ancient se, bell and stone chime. According to our requirements, each performer must be versatile enough to be able to play several roles. In this way a characteristic orchestra was eventually established at the Central Plains.
Grand Opening

  

       April 1, 2000, will be forever treasured in the memory of Hua Xia Ancient Music Arts Orchestra, thanks to the kind support of the Provincial Committee of the CPC, the Provincial Government, the Department of Publicity, the Bureau of Culture, the Administration of Cultural Relics, the enthusiasm of the mass media, guests from all walks of life, and the close cooperation between Henan Museum and well-known experts and scholars on ancient music in China. The   grand news release was accompanied by the gracious, sweet ancient melodies; the performers wore long and large dresses styled from the Warring States Period. The performers played the first chapter of the Orchestras history.
Garments
       The performers’ dresses are designed based on the colored wooden figurine that was unearthed from a tomb of early the Warring States Period, Changtaiguan, Xinyang. Jade wear was popular during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and jade represented the people’s pursuit of happy living. The female performer is styled like the Empress Mrs. Meng Ji of the State Huang, Guangshan County, whereas the male performers’ hair style and dress were typical for the travel, banquet, and social intercourse during the period of Xian Qin. Xian Qin contributed to the beauty of clothing in the remote antiquity of the Central Plains.
The Ancient Astronomy
       The history of the Chinese ancestors living and reproducing in the Central Plains can be traced back to at least 1 million years ago. In the endless days accompanied by rising and falling sun, moon and stars, the ancestors, for the sake of living, had long ago began observing and exploring the mysterious space, whilst transforming the nature. Henan, located at a place of “The Sky over Head”, is the birthplace of ancient China’s astronomy, and this place of culture entertains numerous miracles that have astonished the world. The most representative include the seismograph invented by Zhang Heng, Han Dynasty, and the astro observatory by Guo Shoujing at Dengfeng, Yuan Dynasty.

  

       The Astro Observatory, located at Gaocheng Town, to the southeast of and 15km away from Dengfeng, is the largest ancient observatory now existing in China. It is the cultural relics of significant value for scientific research and has the functions of measuring the shadow cast by the sun, observing celestial bodies, and telling time. The observatory was in 1961 listed among the Key Cultural Relics under State Protection. At the request of the imperial order, the observatory was built up by Guo Shoujing and Wang Xun in 13th year of the Emperor Zhiyuan (1276 A.D.), Yuan Dynasty, and was one of the then 27 observation stations in China. To the south of the watercourses is a suction sump, and to the north a discharge sump. Each sump has scales for measuring the levelness.  
  

Zhang Heng’s Seismograph, Han Dynasty
       The great scientist Zhang Heng of ancient China’s Western Han Dynasty is the inventor of the world’s earliest seismoscope – the Houfeng Seismograph. Though the original has long been lost, the history of over two thousand years cannot set people’s memory to oblivion. According to the merely 195 words recorded by the history, the later scholars have been ceaselessly trying to restore the seismograph’s real identity. This seismograph means not only the restoration of a seismic-measuring apparatus, but also the progress of our ancestors in search of the great spirit of science as “Seeking Truth and Evading Emptiness”.
       Zhang Heng, with the alias Pingzi, was a native of Xi’e, Nanyang (Xia Village, Shiqiao Town, Nanyang, Henan Province), and was the great scientist, litterateur, inventor and statesman of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He marks the lofty monument in the world history of science and culture. Guo Moruo, the contemporary man of letter, ever gave his words to Zhang Heng: “It is rare to see such a versatile person in the world history.”

  

Abridged Armilla
       The Abridged Armilla was invented in 1276 A.D. by Guo Shoujing, for measuring positions of celestial bodies. The instrument is simpler than the armillary sphere in terms of construction and application, and it gives a panorama to the entire sky except for the part around Polaris, so it is called Abridged Armilla.
       The equatorial mounting, devised by the Chinese, was somewhat 500 years earlier than like devices created in Europe.
Upward-looking Bowl Sundial
       The body of the Upward-looking Bowl Sundial is like a bowl laying at its back, so it is so named. The grid at the interior sphere is applied to measure positions of celestial bodies. A circle of water channel at the opening of the bowl is filled with water to calibrate the levelness of the opening. 24 lines are marked evenly around the channel, for indicating directions.
       The Upward-looking Bowl Sundial, visualized and convenient, is an observation instrument of direct projection. For example, when sunlight come through the central hole, the image of the sun will be projected at the internal sphere of the sundial, so the observer can immediately read out the position of the sun by the grid.
       Henan Museum, with a more than 70-year history, is not only a place that concentrates on collection of historical relics, cultural activities, and education, but is also at the forefront for scientific research. In particular, since the founding of the People’s Republic, talents have been emerging here constantly, achieving fruitful results in this regard.
       Today’s achievement of Henan Museum was made possible through the care and support of governments at various levels and people from all walks of life, and also from the joint efforts of generations of museum staff. The unparalleled geographic conditions, abundant resources of cultural relics, and the unremitting effort of all the employees ensure Henan Museum’s continued contribution to Central China with more concrete steps, brand-new appearance, modernized management, and multipurpose service, in a pleasant, elegant and unique environment.
       The transition of Journal of the Henan Museum to Cultural Relics of Central China shows us, not only the brilliant progression of Henan Museum over seventy years, but it also helps us experience deeply the generations an unremitting effort behind the fruitful results in Henan Museum. The staff has exerted their utmost effort contributing to the development of the museum and the scientific research.. The pleasant tomorrow of Henan Museum is fully exhibited in those young professionals.
       Today’s achievement of Henan Museum was made possible through the care and support of governments at various levels and people from all walks of life, and also from the joint efforts of generations of museum staff. The unparalleled geographic