1 . Out- of- hours: an introduction to China

200ct 2022-17 Dec 2022

Journey through the extraordinary cultures of China in this special guided tour before the Museum opens to the public.

In the Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China, you will gain an insight into the development of Chinese history and culture from 5000 BC to the present day.

In a beautifully refurnished space which has recently re-opened, this introductory tour will give you a deep appreciation for the magnificent objects on display featuring Tang dynasty tomb figures buried around AD 728 and beautiful Ming dynasty blue-and-white porcelain (瓷器).

Gallery on this tour:

• Room 33: China (Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery)

Booking information

• The tour will begin at 9:00 and will last for 60 minutes.

• Please meet at the Main entrance on Great Russell Street (WC1B 3DG) at 8:50 with your email confirmation.

• This tour is limited to a maximum of 20 places per session. If you would like to bring a group of 10 or more people or arrange a special out-of-hours tour, please email traveltradebookings@britishmuseum.org to discuss your options.

• To ensure a safe and enjoyable visit, face coverings are required for the protection of yourself and others. Please be considerate of people and exercise social distancing where you can — especially in smaller spaces. Hand sanitizer (洗手液) stations can be found throughout the Museum and we recommend washing your hands regularly.

• All measures are subject to change in accordance with government guidelines (Opens in new window) and Museum regulations. Further information can be found in our FAQs section.

Meeting point:

Main entrance — Great Russell Street (WC1B 3DG)

Price:

• £33

• £16 (Ages 5-15 years)

• Free tor under 5s and disabled visitors’ assistant (no booking required)

The world’s biggest kite, shaped like a dragon and    1     (stretch) over 280meters, flew high on Sunday in the skies over the Chinese city of Weifang. The city in the eastern province of Shandong is     2     birthplace of kites and home to the Weifang International Kite Festival since 1984.

The highlight of this year’s edition was the “Chinese Giant Dragon”, four meters in    3     (high) and 3.6 meters in width. The kite has the head of a dragon and the body of a centipede(蜈蚣) and is the    4    (wide) of its kind in the world. “It took 28 experienced workers 48 days to design and complete the kite.55 people     5     (require) to fly it,” said Zhang Huagang, general manager of Weifang Tianshun Kite Productions and one of the kite makers.

According to Zhang, the giant dragon kite, using traditional Chinese techniques, “    6     (refer) to our nation’s wishes for prosperity and fortune”. The kite festival, now in its 38th edition, opened on Friday    7     the presence of hundreds of amateurs and professionals,    8     flooded to the city from near and far to display their creations at the event.

This year’s festival features a record 1,628 kites in     9    (vary) forms by 500 participants     10     (divide) into 188 teams from over 31 provinces and regions from across the country.

4 . Ancient Chinese paintings are always in a vivid state for the world to appreciate, interpret and pass on. Each signature has the echo of history and the breathing of time.

When a scroll (卷轴) is opened, the art of painting is transformed into a living story, and the hidden history wakes up from the painting. The Night Revels of Han Xizai is described as the earliest human “movie” with the last emperor of Southern Tang as the “producer”, the painter Gu Hongzhong as the “cameraman“, and Han Xizai as the “leading actor”. It is said that Han Xizai understood the suspicion of the emperor and the intention of the painter’s visit, so he staged a banquet (宴会) with songs, dances and drinks to protect himself. Future generations would be able to feel the undeclared battles and historical suspicions of the ruler and ministers of that era through this painting.

Then there is The Emperor Taizong Receiving the Tibetan Envoy, which gives you the opportunity to step into Zhenguan Period and watch the scene of Li Shimin, Emperor Tang Taizong, receiving Lu Dongzan in the palace.

The paintings are used as brushes to record history and have been passed down for thousands of years. They are ancient paintings, as well as historical documents that can be read at any time. Each one of them is a parallel universe, allowing us to have a glimpse of those historical ups and downs.

People of later generations want to use advanced technology and innovative ideas to make history and its stories come alive. Thus, at the 2022 Spring Festival gala, Only This Green, based on the painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, became a hit. We realize that pictures can not only be vivid on paper, but also can be alive in 3D.

Ancient paintings have been appreciated for over a thousand years, and the beauty of China is more than landscapes. You can enjoy China in ancient paintings with a magnifying (放大) glass. Let’s enjoy the whispering of ancient paintings and the sweetness of traditional culture in ancient scrolls.

Yazhou pottery—a type of exquisite pottery with a history of more than 600 years—is now shining a new light across China.

As an ancient Chinese artifact, Yazhou pottery dates back    1    the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty. During this period, the art form     2    (bring) to Yazhou town in today’s Pingtang county, Guizhou province from Jiangxi province. This is    3    Yazhou pottery was named and found its origin.

After    4    (spread) to Guizhou, Yazhou pottery was combined with aspects from the local Miao and Buyi ethnic cultures. In this way, it gained its own distinctive style in shape and color.

The shapes of Yazhou pottery are inspired directly by objects in daily life,    5     adds to their folk style. In addition, the glaze of Yazhou pottery is also special. The pottery uses glass powder to make products Jade-like in     6    (appear).

Yazhou pottery saw a crisis in    7    1980s, as many pottery factories were closed because the daily uses of pottery were largely replaced by those    8    (make) from metal and plastic.

    9    (fortune), things changed after 2008, when Yazhou pottery was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage and got support from governments of different levels. Its inheritors are also creating new ways     10     (develop) it, like transforming the potteries into tourist souvenirs.

The heritage of Yazhou pottery is never something that stands still, but a process driven forward by innovation.

Despite     1     (extreme) cold temperatures and strong winds in recent days in Northeast China, workers are not slowing down as they build     2     ice and snow wonderland in Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

Since the first block of ice     3     (pull) from the frozen Songhua River early this month, thousands of sculptors and support crews have joined in building the 24th Harbin Ice and Snow World, a chilly live-action amusement park harmoniously combining ice, snow, sound     4     electricity.

Most of the main ice     5     (build) in the park have been finished and the park is expected     6     (open) in a few days. On 810,000 square meters, it     7     (present) visitors with more than 100 groups of artworks    8     (use) more than 150,000 cubic meters of ice and snow.

A giant Ferris wheel     9     the shape of a snowflake has been built in the park to provide tourists with a unique experience in a dazzling world     10     night falls.

Qiang embroidery (羌绣) has a long and rich history, dating back to the Han Dynasty,     1     it was adopted for use on clothing. It makes use of many kinds of stitches (针法) and     2     (usual) is practised by women more often than not. A pair of embroidered shoes can take as long as ten days to produce, making the practice a test of both skill and patience.

Chen Yunzhen, from Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County in Sichuan Province,     3     (be) a master of Qiang embroidery. As part of her efforts to stop the endangered technique from     4     (appear), Chen began visiting the surrounding regions to teach embroidery. In 2014, she established a Qiang embroidery workshop that has since provided free training to over 20,000 people.

    5     (breathe) new life into Qiang embroidery, Chen has continued to keep     6     open mind, introducing new products like personal accessories, notebooks and bags in addition to the traditional clothes. Chen’s two daughters returned to their hometown to help support her efforts after graduating from university. With her daughters’ youthful sense of     7     (innovate), Chen has combined metalwork and Qiang embroidery to create earrings, rings and necklaces popular     8     young consumers. She is also considering live streaming to promote her handmade products.

According to Chen, the Qiang people do not have a     9     (write) language, so Qiang embroidery must     10     (preserve) and developed as part of efforts to sustain its culture.