Routines of antiquity in focus
Museum in Beijing offers a tantalizing glimpse into the past, Cheng Yuezhu reports.
The newly opened museum of the Luxian county heritage site invites visitors to step into the past. It features an original excavation area that immerses people in the field work of archaeologists, while two ancient tombs, relocated and intact, allow a close view of the chambers.
One of the tombs dating back to the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) even allows visitors to enter the chamber itself through a glass walkway and view its interior up close, without potentially damaging the cultural relics. Its walls are adorned with murals vividly portraying scenes from everyday life in ancient times.
With drawings and relief sculptures, a section of the mural depicts a couple, believed to be buried in the tomb, seated face to face at a wooden table, with fruits and wine vessels placed above, servants and musicians standing behind them. Such banquet scenes are commonly found in tombs of married couples, an idealized image of family life and a tribute to their love paid by their descendants.
Other parts of the mural show scenes from the daily life of an ancient affluent household, such as a maid lighting a lamp, servants preparing horses for the couple's outing, and musicians playing different kinds of traditional instruments.
