Trip Overview
When: June (summer, warm weather)
Duration: 1 day
Travelers: Family with children
Budget: Free admission (reservation required)
Transportation: Beijing Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East Station
Essential Foreigner Info
Getting There: The National Museum of China (国家博物馆) is located on the east side of Tiananmen Square, south of Chang'an Street. Take Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East Station (Exit D). Several bus routes also stop at Tiananmen East.
Admission: Free, but advance reservation is required. Bring your passport or second-generation ID card for entry.
Language: English signage is limited; consider using a translation app or picking up an English brochure at the information desk.
Best Time to Visit: Weekday mornings are less crowded. The exhibition is located in the North N9 Hall.
Discovering Ancient Life: The Hexi Corridor Picture Bricks
I'm a traveler who loves exploring history and culture. When I heard about the "Picture Lives: Ancient Life on Hexi Corridor Picture Bricks" exhibition at the National Museum of China, I knew I had to see it. This remarkable collection features 258 colored picture bricks from the Hexi Corridor region, with 88 classified as national first-level cultural relics.
Picture bricks are engraved or printed bricks with images and patterns, used primarily in ancient Chinese tombs. This tradition spanned from the Warring States period to the Yuan Dynasty—over 1,400 years of continuous artistic expression.
The Hexi Corridor (河西走廊) lies in Gansu Province, western China. In ancient times, this region was far from the prosperity of central China, evoking images of "desert smoke rising straight, the sun setting over the long river" and the famous line "Spring breeze never passes through Yumen Pass."
What did people there eat over a thousand years ago? What did they wear? What did they think about? I带着好奇 (carried my curiosity) to the exhibition to find out.
The Exhibition: Three Themes
The exhibition is organized into three thematic sections:
1. Pictures of Heaven and Earth (图画天地) - Celestial beings and mythological scenes
2. Life in All Its Forms (生活百态) - Daily activities and social life
3. Blessings and Peace (宁平降福) - Prayers for good fortune
Upon entering the North N9 Hall, a large animated screen immediately caught my attention. A few minutes of narration and I was transported back to those ancient times.
Heavenly Beings: Gods and Mythology
The first section showcases the ancient people's rich imagination of the celestial world. These picture bricks were typically placed on the ceiling of tomb chambers or high on walls.
Sun God and Moon Goddess: The left brick shows a red sun with a golden bird (representing the sun in Chinese mythology). The right brick shows a full moon with a toad—a classic Moon Goddess (嫦娥) motif.
Fu Xi and Nu Wa: These paired bricks were originally placed together in the tomb's central ceiling. Fu Xi (伏羲), depicted with a human head, serpentine body, and wearing a mountain-shaped crown, holds a compass (规) in his right hand, with a sun disc containing a golden bird on his abdomen. Nu Wa (女娲), with a human head, serpent tail, and elaborate high bun, holds a ruler (矩) in her left hand, her tail intertwined with Fu Xi's—representing the mythological couple who created the world.
King Father of the East (东王公): Dressed magnificently in flowing robes, resembling a scholar-official, surrounded by rising clouds.
Queen Mother of the West (西王母): Seated regally on a couch, winged shoulders, with a servant standing to her right and a toad to her left. Clouds float before her—a goddess of immortality in Chinese mythology.
Mythical Creatures: Imagination Unleashed
These bricks showcase the extraordinary imagination of ancient artisans, expressing hopes for divine protection. They were typically embedded in the "screening wall" at the entrance of tomb chambers.
Colorful Parrot: A red-framed brick depicting a white-feathered parrot, seemingly walking.
Divine Deer: With vivid expressions and bright colors, winged shoulders, angry eyes, and feathered legs in a running pose, with clouds surging behind.
White Elephant: With trunk curled upward and wings at the rear—the white elephant is an auspicious creature in Buddhism.
Heavenly Horse: Another legendary creature representing speed and power.
Daily Life: Farming, Hunting, and Entertainment
The Hexi Corridor picture bricks depict a rich variety of subjects: agricultural life, hunting scenes, daily activities like singing and feasting, fortified dwelling life, and historical stories. These vivid images represent the diverse social life and regional characteristics of the various ethnic groups in the Hexi region.
These bricks were generally placed on the lower and middle sections of tomb walls, or on walls of front chambers and corridors.
Silk Harvesting (采桑): The center features a tall mulberry tree. A woman on the left carries a basket and picks mulberry leaves with one hand while holding a picking tool in the other. A woman on the right does the same—this reflects the importance of sericulture in ancient Hexi.
Deer Herding (牧鹿): Deer lie or stand peacefully while a man with a long whip stands on the right—depicting deer farming in the Hexi Corridor.
Cloth Cutting (剪布): Two women holding a piece of cloth, preparing to cut it—showing textile work.
Preparing the Horse: A man leads a horse while a hunting dog follows behind—perhaps a servant preparing a horse for his master's hunt.
Chariot Procession: The tomb owner travels in a chariot with a driver beside him and servants following behind—displaying the social status and connections of the deceased.
Warrior: A soldier in full armor, carrying a bow and arrows, wearing combat boots, holds a spear in one hand and leads a warhorse—ready for battle.
Ox Cart Travel: A man drives an ox cart forward, with a servant girl following behind carrying a tray in one hand and a flask in the other.
Feasting and Entertainment
Banquet and Music (宴乐): Inside a curtain, four men sit side by side on the left, while two musicians sit on the right playing a vertical flute (竖笛) and a ruan (阮咸—a Chinese lute). In the center sit drinking vessels like ear cups and zun (酒器).
Barbecue Service: A servant presents roasted meat to the master. The servant grills meat skewers on a rectangular stove while the master, wearing a black headpiece, holds a fan (便面). The inscriptions "幼洁" and "段清" appear—"段清" is likely the name of the tomb owner, and "幼洁" his courtesy name.
Six-Player Board Game (六博): One player throws two wooden dice while another points at the board with his left hand raised—this was a popular ancient board game.
Well Drawing (井饮): Drawing water from a well.
Chicken (家鸡): Keeping domestic chickens.
Fetching Water (汲水): Drawing and carrying water.
Slaughtering Scenes: Various images showing the preparation of meat—scalding and plucking chickens, butchering cows, pigs, and sheep.
Kitchen (庖厨): The kitchen scene showing food preparation.
Cutting Meat (切肉): Slicing meat for cooking.
Couple Drinking: Two women sitting facing each other with wine vessels between them—a drinking scene.
Dance Performance (双人歌舞): Two performers dancing.
Music Performance (奏乐): Two musicians sitting opposite each other, playing instruments. The left man plucks a stringed instrument while the right man plays a three-string ruan.
Fortified Dwelling Life
The "坞" (fortified dwelling) brick shows a city gate with a watchtower on top, battlements on the walls. Outside are trees, cattle, sheep, and horses. The character "坞" is inscribed on the brick.
Fortified Dwelling (坞堡): The left side shows a square fortified enclosure with high walls and corner towers at the four corners. On the right, two figures in red and white clothing hold halberds, standing guard.
Hearing Legal Cases (听讼): The clan elder handles civil disputes within the family.
Flogging (杖责): Physical punishment scene.
Concluding a Case (结案): A legal case being concluded.
Historical Stories: Li Guang the Flying General
One brick depicts a man on a galloping horse turning back to shoot an arrow. The rider wears a crown and cross-collared robe. An inscription "李广" (Li Guang) identifies him as the famous Han Dynasty "Flying General" Li Guang, known for his archery skills. The following brick shows a tiger and mountains—representing his legendary tiger-hunting exploits.
The Silk Road Legacy
The Silk Road left unique "marks" on the Hexi Corridor.
Foreign Camel Driver (胡人牵驼图): A Central Asian person leading a camel—the essence of Silk Road trade.
Parting at the Border (羌女送行): A man on a white-spotted horse looks back at a woman with a worried expression, bidding farewell. The woman with long flowing hair and a backpack sees him off—reflecting the ethnic integration and marriage customs of the Hexi region.
Express Courier (驿传): A messenger wearing a black headpiece, holding a wooden pass (棨) in his left hand and reins in his right, galloping at full speed. The wooden pass was an official通关信物 (travel pass) used in ancient China.
The Inner Chamber: Wealth and Power
The rear chamber of the tomb was where the soul of the deceased resided. Picture bricks depicting military equipment and silk (symbolizing wealth) were typically placed here, expressing the living's longing for the deceased and best wishes for the afterlife.
Offerings: Two high-stemmed dishes placed side by side, with round items on top—offerings for the dead.
Silk Bundles: Bundles of silk painted on the brick, symbolizing the wealth of the tomb owner.
Opening the Chest (斗箱): A woman with an elaborate hairstyle and beautiful clothing opens a chest to retrieve items—showing daily domestic life.
Weapons (兵器): Military arms and armor.
Lamp and Charcoal Stove: Both are black with round bases and handles with grid patterns. The lamp has a burning candle, and the stove has roaring flames—lighting and heating for the afterlife.
Bed: A bed drawn with simple lines, with a red rectangular pattern on top—likely a mattress or quilt.
Clothing Rack: Four garments hanging on a rack.
Final Thoughts
After viewing this exhibition of colored picture bricks from the Hexi Corridor, I'm deeply impressed by the extraordinary imagination and creativity of our ancestors. Each brick is a painting, each brick a scene—the content is incredibly rich, covering everything from heaven to earth. The simple lines and compositions convey a strong sense of the era and the unique regional and ethnic characteristics of the Hexi region.
These picture bricks help visitors better understand ancient Hexi people and represent the endless cultural source of the Chinese nation's vitality and prosperity.