What a day! We visited the National Museum of China today. There, we had the chance to look around for about an hour and a half, so I took the time to look at some ancient Chinese artifacts, as well as sculptures depicting significant events from Chinese history. My favorite part of the visit was definitely the ancient Chinese money exhibition, because it was really interesting to see how the shape of money has developed over time. There was, for example, the knife money, which, as its name heavily suggests, was shaped like knives. Seeing this kind of money, I could not help but think about how difficult it must have been to carry around so much clunky currency on one’s person. I have to admit, however, that I found the Wu Zhu coins more aesthetically appealing than the coins in use today.
Speaking of aesthetically appealing currency, the Chinese paper money in circulation before Mao’s time in office was so awesome! There were dragons descending from clouds on them, which made me think for a moment that there should be bald eagles strewn all over USD.
After our time in the National Museum of China, we visited the Beijing National Grand Theatre. Both the exterior and interior of this building were incredible – the exterior of the theatre made it look as though it were the top half of a giant bubble floating on water, and the Brazilian redwood used in the intricate crafting of the building’s interior truly made its architecture something to behold.
All in all, I’m really happy about the opportunity I had to further acquaint myself with China’s culture and history today. I can’t wait to see what I learn tomorrow at the 798 Art Zone!