Mysterious culture
The kingdom of Dian once thrived in what is today's Yunnan province in Southwest China. Its culture rose in the fifth century and is believed to have lasted some 500 years. The remote kingdom is rarely mentioned in historical records. It came to light after tombs of its royals were first discovered in 1955. Since then more than 10,000 artifacts have been excavated from several Dian burial sites, offering information about its glory, especially fine bronze ware. The Lost Kingdom, an exhibition at Shenzhen Museum, reveals aspects of Dian's society and culture, showing more than 140 ritual bronze items, weapons, agricultural tools and other objects essential to Dian people's daily lives. The show celebrates Dian's economic and craft scenes, particularly metal work, and adds to people's curiosity about the culture and how it declined, which is a mystery. The exhibition runs through to Sept 18.
10 am-6 pm, closed on Mondays.6 Tongxin Lu, Futian district, Shenzhen, Guangdong province.0755-88132247.
