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Do you know how old Beijing is?
"Er, I watched it from TV. But I can’t remember…"
"Since 18th Century?"
"Three hundred years?"
Today&`&s Beijing is busy and bustling with 30 million residents. But it seems few of them are aware that the origin of this dazzling civilization was located in a small town in southwest Beijing. And it can be traced back to more than 3,000 years ago.
75-year-old Tian Jingdong is an archeologist. Graduating from Peking University&`&s history department, he spent half of his life in a small town called "Glaze River" or "Liu Li He" in southwest Beijing. There he participated in the excavation of a 3,000-year-old ancient kingdom called "Yan."
Tian explains.
"There are a lot of different theories about the time of Yan&`&s founding, or say conferment. But the most acceptable one is the year of 1045 B.C. This was calculated based on official astronomy records, which says Halley&`&s Comet visited the earth that year. Therefore we say Beijing has a history of more than 3,000 years."
Geographically, the "Yan" kingdom was near the northern border of the territory of the then Zhou Dynasty, faraway from its mother country which was located near today&`&s Xi&`&an City. But politically and militarily, it was very important, with the brave and battlewise nomad people sitting in the north. So the then Emperor conferred his nephew "Ke" to be the king of "Yan," and made him a bronze kettle and a bronze jar to commemorate this conferment. Currently, these two national treasuries are both displayed in the Capital Museum with other 40 plus archaic items.
Surprisingly, Tian Jingdong says this 3,000-year-old kettle was even multi-functioned.
"Usually this kettle is used to hold water. But it&`&s also used to hold wine. It has four legs, so that people can burn something underneath to heat up the wine. People in ancient times prefer warm wine to drink."
The exhibit that you mustn&`&t miss also includes the biggest and heavies bronze tripod found in China, which was made to reward a marquis&`& care and love for his father; and a congee boiler of fine artistry, decorated with seven tri-dimensional bronze cow heads of different shapes and sizes, to remark the contribution of a diplomat. All the stories of these items were engraved under the lid.
Visitors are impressed by these items.
"I learned a lot, especially about the bronze boiler with delicate decoration. It&`&s made to reward great contribution to work and home. I really admire it."
"I&`&m impressed by the tripod. It shed so much influence on the Chinese culture, that when we say someone is responsible, we still say someone&`&s words are worth nine tripods, just as a king of the ancient times."
What&`&s more, there were even sewage networks 3,000 years ago. And they were not just ditches, but pottery pipes.
Hu Bin, an expert with the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, introduces a piece of pottery pipe to the visitors.
"We can see these well-made pipes, with a wide end and a narrow end, so that they can be easily connected to build longer pipes. The surface of the pipe is full of cord marks. They are not just for aesthetics, but also to increase friction force, so that they can be easier to use."
This exhibition is open to public for free until July 19th. If visitors are interested in knowing more, they are also offered the opportunity to visit the ancient relics in southwest Beijing. There more antiques made of bronze, jade, and wood, lacquered wares, pottery, even architectural foundations 3,000 years old with more stories underneath are waiting to be shared.
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