Gansu Provincial Museum

Located at Qilihe of Lanzhou City, the Gansu Provincial Museum is a local comprehensive museum. First built in 1956, the Museum's predecessor is the Science Education Hall of Gansu built in 1939. After several name changes, the Museum got its present name in 1956 and was opened to the public in 1958. Covering a construction area of 180,000 square meters, it is one of the best sights in the city and a visit is well worthwhile.

 

The museum is divided into two sections-natural resources and historic exhibits. It houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. In addition, the museum is home to precious linen and silk fabrics, books, wooden and bronze vessels, a great many bamboo slips for writing from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), frescos and so many other items. A 4-meter-tall Mammoth fossil replica is stored in the museum whose remains were excavated from the Yellow River basin in 1973. Aside from the prehistoric presentations, there are also rare animal exhibits, such as pandas, golden monkeys and red -crowned cranes.

The world-famous bronze Galloping Horse's Hoof Stepped on a Flying Swallow, also named as Galloping Horse, is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum. Excavated in 1969 in Wuwei County, Gansu Province, the piece depicts a vigorous horse with long tail waving and head perking. Its three hooves are in the air, galloping like lightening. What makes this sculpture amazing is the right back hoof of this galloping horse lands on the back of a small flying bird. The bird turns in surprise to look at the big creature on its back. At the same moment, the horse's head also turns slightly in attempt to know what has happened. The whole statue is honored as the mysterious and rare treasure in the history of Chinese ancient sculpture art.

There are many other halls such as The Hall of Natural Resources. The museum is very accessible and comprehensive for its size. There were exhibits on the Silk Road, prehistoric animals, Buddhism, and other elements. It will give you some good insides about local history and culture. Considering its location and the local resources, it is a place worthwhile to visit.

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