Sumptuous Persian relics reveal legacy of cultural connections

Age cannot take the shine off their luster.

For more than 2,000 years, the monuments rising above the ground at Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, have borne witness to the apex of ancient Persia, an empire known for its power, affluence, and mixture of different cultures and peoples.

A replica of the stone column with a double-bull capital that was part of the Apadana Hall at Persepolis has been reconstructed in the eastern wing of the Meridian Gate Galleries in Beijing's Palace Museum. Commissioned by King Darius the Great, who may have intended it to demonstrate the cultural diversity of his mighty empire, it combines Egyptian, Greek and Persian artistic elements.

Now, standing at the entrance to The Glory of the Ancient Persia, its replica ushers visitors into a remarkable dialogue among civilizations in this centuries-old building in the former Chinese imperial palace. The exhibition runs through April 11.