[2025 Dingzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Dingzhou Museum (Updated May)

The Dingzhou Museum in Hebei is definitely a treasure museum. Not only a large number of tombs of Han Dynasty kings and princes have been unearthed here, but also a large number of craftsmanship and exquisite jewelry from the Ming and Qing dynasties. These jewels are exquisitely crafted, well-made, and made of the most luxurious materials, giving you a sense of overwhelming wealth. The lighting configuration of the museum's exhibition hall is very scientific, perfectly presenting the shapes of these gorgeous jewels. [Kiss] The most eye-catching item in the exhibition hall is the phoenix crown of the imperial concubine. This phoenix crown is made of gilded copper and uses the filigree and kingfisher feather technique. It is 39 cm high and 21 cm wide. The kingfisher feather inlay technique is a technique that adds color and texture by inlaying kingfisher feathers on a metal base. Although most of the green feathers have fallen off, the phoenix crown still looks exquisite and luxurious. The phoenix crown is divided into three layers. The bottom circle is decorated with nine phoenixes holding tassels in their mouths, and the phoenixes are inlaid with rubies. The phoenix is ​​decorated with twin dragons and immortal figures, with the word "Imperial Edict" engraved in the middle of the crown, and above it is a plaque with the words "Fengtian Gaoming". [TeaDrinker] The exhibition hall is "Golden Pearls - Collection of Jewelry Exhibition", which is one of the permanent exhibitions of Dingzhou Museum.

🏛️【Dingzhou Museum Guide】 ⭐Visitor Guide: ‌Tickets and Stamps‌: Dingzhou Museum tickets are priced at CNY 38, including a stamp card. After purchasing at the machine at the entrance, you can stamp it at the stamping machine next to it. There are several stamping machines in the museum, located in the exhibition halls on the 2nd and 3rd floors, some at the exit of the exhibition hall, and some in the middle of the exhibition hall against the wall‌. In addition, the cultural and creative store on the 3rd floor also offers free stamps, but two of them are duplicates‌. 🌟Must-visit: ‌Third-floor exhibition hall‌: ‌Hometown Stars‌: Displays figures from various periods in Dingzhou's history, such as Su Dongpo, Liu Yuxi, etc‌. ‌A Thousand Years Outside the Dust‌: Displays precious cultural relics and scene restoration unearthed from the base palace of Jingzhi Temple Pagoda and the base palace of Jingzhong Temple Pagoda‌. ‌The World is White‌: Introduces the development history and craftsmanship of Ding porcelain, including the national treasure-level cultural relics of the Northern Song Dynasty Ding kiln white glaze carved dragon head vase‌. ‌Second-floor exhibition hall‌: ‌Han Family Mausoleum‌: Displays cultural relics unearthed from the tomb of the Han Zhongshan King, including the national treasure-level cultural relics of the Eastern Han Dynasty dragon chi ring pattern green jade bi and the Eastern Han Dynasty openwork story jade seat screen‌. ‌Northern Dynasty Buddha‌: Displays Buddha statues from the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi periods‌. ‌Golden Pearls‌: Displays gold, silver, and jade ornaments from the Liao Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties‌. ‌First-floor exhibition hall‌: Currently, there is a temporary exhibition called 【See Dongpo Again】, which displays the life of Su Dongpo and his connection with Dingzhou‌. 🚉Transportation Guide: ‌Public Transportation‌: You can take Dingzhou Bus No. 1 or 2 to 【Wenboyuan】, or take a taxi‌. ‌Self-driving‌: Exit from Dingzhou Exit of G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway, turn into Jinggang Line along Yingbin Avenue, drive south and then turn into Zhongshan East Road to reach‌. 🕙Opening Hours: ‌Opening Hours‌: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30), closed on Mondays‌. 🧳Preparation: ‌Reservation Method‌: You can search for "Leyou Ji" through the mini program to make an online reservation, or use the QR code to make a reservation directly (the QR code can be used to enter the museum directly)‌.

Dingzhou City Museum, Located on the south side of Zhongshan East Road, Dingzhou City, Hebei Province. It is close to Kaiyuan Temple Pagoda, Gongyuan and Confucian Temple. The museum has 31,216 cultural relics. Among them, there are 965 precious cultural relics. There are pottery, porcelain, jade, stone, gold, Silver, copper, bone, wood, etc. Mainly from the Han Dynasty and the Song Dynasty. Exhibition Hall Layout: The museum has; Han Dynasty Mausoleums, Northern Dynasty Buddha, The world is clear, thousands of years away from the dust, Ki-nan Documents, Hometown Starry Sky, Six exhibition halls. It is now a national first-class museum. Key cultural relic protection unit. ----------------------- Travel Information: Opening hours: 9:00--17:00. Closed on Mondays, except holidays. Ticket information: Free. Traffic information: (for reference) the bus: In Dingzhou City: Take bus No. 1 or No. 2. Get off at Wenboyuan Station. Self-driving: Navigation location: Dingzhou Office parking lot. (Again walk there). Finally, I wish you a pleasant journey and good luck!

Dingzhou Museum is a comprehensive museum with the theme of collecting, displaying, and researching Dingzhou's history and culture. It is located in the center of Dingzhou City, covering an area of about 50 mu, with a building area of 20,000 square meters. The museum houses a large number of precious cultural relics and historical materials, systematically displaying the historical process and cultural characteristics of Dingzhou from prehistoric civilization to modern society. I think the most worthwhile thing to see in Dingzhou Museum is its "Ding Kiln Porcelain Exhibition." Ding Kiln is one of the five famous kilns in the Song Dynasty of China. Its porcelain is mainly white glaze, with a glaze color as warm as jade and exquisite patterns, known as the "crown of white porcelain." Dingzhou Museum has a large collection of Ding Kiln porcelain, including national treasure-level cultural relics, such as the Northern Song Dynasty Ding Kiln white glaze carved flower plum vase, Northern Song Dynasty Ding Kiln black glaze carved flower plum vase, etc. These porcelains are not only beautiful in shape but also vivid in patterns, making people marvel at the superb skills of ancient craftsmen. In addition to the Ding Kiln Porcelain Exhibition, Dingzhou Museum also has many other exhibitions, such as the "Dingzhou History and Culture Exhibition," "Dingzhou Folk Customs Exhibition," etc. These exhibitions comprehensively display the history, culture, folk customs, and other aspects of Dingzhou through various forms such as objects, pictures, and models, giving people a deeper understanding of this city. In short, if you are interested in history and culture or want to learn about Dingzhou, then Dingzhou Museum is definitely a place not to be missed. It not only allows people to feel the profoundness of ancient civilization but also gives people a deeper understanding of modern society. Family members, hurry up and arrange it.

Let’s talk about Dingzhou first, an inconspicuous little place, but it is called the “Millennium Ancient County”: 4,300 years ago, Emperor Yao established his capital in Tangcheng, Dingzhou. Zhongshan in the Warring States Period, Zhongshan in the Han Dynasty, and Later Yan successively established their capitals here. The Hebei Tourism Bureau also gave Dingzhou a cute slogan 👏 "Travel to Dingzhou, Dingzhou will bring you good luck" During the National Day holiday, train tickets are hard to come by, and famous scenic spots are crowded with people. If you can't buy a ticket like me, but don't want to stay at home, you might want to consider it (🚗 It's about 2.5 hours drive from Beijing). What's fun here🤔️After doing some research, I found out that this is a forgotten ancient capital of history and culture. Here's a rough summary: ♦️Dingzhou Gongyuan The best-preserved ancient imperial examination venue in the north🗞 ♦️Dingzhou Confucian Temple Also known as the "Confucius Temple", it is naturally a must-go place for studying. Dating back to the Tang Dynasty. ♦️Han Zhongshan King's Tomb The only Han tomb that is well preserved and can be visited. You can enter the tomb passage to experience the thousand-year-old tomb🪦 ♦️Kaiyuan Temple Pagoda The tallest ancient brick pagoda in China. ♦️Dingzhou Yafu "Righteousness of Heaven and Earth", "A Bright Mirror Hanging High", "Clear as Mirror Water" Feel the uprightness of the world of honesty, self-discipline and impartiality in handling cases👨‍⚖️ ♦️Former Residence of Yan Yangchu "Father of Popular Education"; He is called "Tao in the South and Yan in the North" together with Tao Xingzhi; He is as famous as Einstein and was selected as "Top Ten Great Men with the Most Revolutionary Contributions in the Modern World" ♦️Dingzhou Museum Three sets of town hall: Eastern Han Dynasty Green Jade Dragon and Chi Holding Ring Valley Pattern Bi Eastern Han Dynasty Openwork Fairy Story Jade Screen Northern Song Dynasty Ding Kiln White Glaze Carved Dragon Head Pure Bottle Ancient city, night market, street scene and local food are intertwined in one square inch of land. You don't need to drive or rush to check in. You can just walk and stroll. The distance between basic attractions is no more than 20 minutes on foot, which is very comfortable and casual. In your spare time, you can also visit the Dingzhou White Porcelain Shop and marvel at the beauty of the combination of light and art created by the light shining through the white porcelain. Here comes the point, now all attractions in Dingzhou are free of admission, free of parking fees, and a complete cultural immersion tour. (To be continued)

Dingzhou, once the capital of the ancient Zhongshan Kingdom, was where seventeen generations of Zhongshan kings of the Han Dynasty thrived. Rich in timber and minerals, abundant in agricultural products like hemp and mulberry, and strategically located at the crossroads of north-south and east-west communication, it was known as the 'throat of the Nine Provinces, the crucial area of the divine capital.' During the Spring and Autumn period, the Baidi Xianyu established the state of Zhongshan, which was frequently attacked by Jin and pressured by Zhao. In the Warring States period, Zhongshan moved its capital to Gu (present-day Dingzhou). Dingzhou was a silk weaving center, with silk weaving bureaus established by the Northern Qi and Sui dynasties. Dingzhou's kesi silk originated in the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty, reaching its peak during the Xuanhe period of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. In the Southern Song period, the production of kesi silk expanded to the southern Su-Song region, and kesi silk based on flower and bird paintings became extremely popular. Dingzhou was an important production area for silk fabrics and porcelain on the Silk Road. With the opening of the Silk Road, Eastern and Western cultures blended here, and glassware and gold and silverware from Western Asia, Central Asia, and Mediterranean countries were introduced to China. The compass pendant was a type of jade pendant frequently worn by Han Dynasty nobles, often made of Hetian mutton-fat jade. Lions, also called suanni, were referred to as 'tianlu' (heavenly blessings) and 'bixie' (evil warding) by the Han people. Early amber originated from Europe and was considered a symbol of the sun. Europeans called it 'northern gold,' and only nobles could possess it. Amber from the Baltic Sea region of Europe was the most famous. Amber artifacts have been unearthed from pre-Qin period sites in China. After the opening of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, amber gradually entered the Central Plains. During the Northern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang periods, with the flourishing of Buddhism and East-West exchanges, amber, as one of the 'seven treasures,' gained importance. As an ornament, it was called 'tiaotuo.' In the early and middle Western Zhou period, 1046-771 BCE, locally made faience beads were widely used in ritual bead and jade pendants. In 900 BCE, transparent glass appeared, used to imitate natural crystal and make luxury items. As early as the Warring States period, crystal artifacts, also known as water jade, water essence, water green, and thousand-year ice, had already appeared. During the Warring States period, 476-221 BCE, the Chu people created lead-barium glass using local materials, producing a large number of dragonfly eye glass beads and jade-imitating glass bi discs, sword ornaments, seals, and other items. Dragonfly eyes generally refer to colorful glass beads decorated with eye patterns. From Egypt in the second millennium BCE to China during the Qin and Han periods, the popularity of dragonfly eyes is believed to be related to the belief in the evil eye. As amulets, they could ward off the evil eye. After the Eastern Han Dynasty, they were endowed with the mystical qualities of Buddhism. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, glassware from the Sassanian Empire and even the Roman Empire was considered treasures, and glass craftsmen from the Western Regions began producing glass in the capital. During the Song Dynasty, crystal products were widely used as supplements to jade, and craftsmen mastered the technique of glass blowing, using it extensively for Buddhist rituals and daily life. In the Yuan Dynasty, the 'Guanyu Bureau' was established, possibly a government-run workshop specializing in the production of jade-imitating glassware. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zibo became an important production site for glassware. Ding kiln, listed as one of the five famous kilns, began firing no later than the Sui Dynasty. The white-glazed lotus-patterned dragon-head purification bottle, unearthed from the base palace of the Jingzhongyuan Pagoda, is praised as the 'king of Ding porcelain.' The phoenix-head pot, also known as the 'Hu pot,' was a vessel shape influenced by Persian culture and popular during the Tang Dynasty. Its prototype was the handled pot in Sassanian and Sogdian silverware. The auspicious beast grape mirror was popular from the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang to the Wu Zhou period and was the most unearthed type of Tang mirror. Emperor Taizong once brewed grape wine using Western methods. During the Two Jin Dynasties, the makara pattern was introduced to China with Buddhism. In the Song Dynasty, it merged with traditional Chinese fish and dragon patterns, becoming known as the fish-dragon pattern, symbolizing the beautiful wish of a carp leaping over the dragon gate. Dingzhou has always been a place of economic prosperity, cultural convergence, Buddhist influence, and exquisite craftsmanship, vividly reflecting the diverse and unified cultural pattern of the Chinese nation.

"The beauty that has thrived through ten centuries" is the introduction on the official website of Dingzhou Museum, and you'll know there's no exaggeration once you actually visit. The glazed grapes unearthed from the underground palace at the base of the Jingzhi Temple Pagoda from a thousand years ago look just like the real thing. The unique eternal beauty of still life hits you in the face. 🍇🍇🍇🍇 The crystal phoenix is exquisitely delicate, the painted wood-carved warriors are full of dynamic tension, and the painted and gilded Bodhisattva statues are amiable yet still emanate a sense of transcendence. Among county-level museums, it's really hard for others to compete with Dingzhou Museum.

The Jingzhong Yuan underground palace and the Jingzhi Temple underground palace were both built during the Northern Song Dynasty as the foundation underground chambers of pagodas, that is, the underground rooms in the base of the pagoda below the ground level. The original pagodas have long ceased to exist, but the underground palaces are still well-preserved, not only with exquisite murals but also with more than 800 pieces of cultural relics and treasures unearthed, supporting half of the prestige of the Dingzhou Museum. 📷📷📷📷 The Jingzhong Yuan underground palace has murals on only three sides and the dome, with the north wall depicting the Nirvana of Sakyamuni, the east and west sides depicting music and ritual scenes, and the top decorated with phoenixes, auspicious clouds, and bouquets. The Jingzhi Temple underground palace has murals on all four walls. The north wall features the Ten Great Disciples paying homage to Buddha, the east wall shows the Brahma King paying homage to Buddha, the west wall depicts the Sakra paying homage to Buddha, and the south wall has images of Heavenly Kings on both sides of the gate. ❗️❗️❗️❗️ I must recommend the official website of the Dingzhou Museum here, it's really well done👍, with a digitally restored underground palace that allows for a 360° appreciation of the murals, offering an immersive experience as if descending into the underground palace, greatly making up for the regret of not being able to visit in person.

Kingfisher feather art is a traditional Chinese gold and silver jewelry craft that originated in the Han Dynasty and was especially popular during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It involves carefully affixing the bright blue feathers from the back of a kingfisher onto a pre-made gold or silver base, creating exquisitely beautiful patterns. It is commonly used to make head ornaments, hairpins, earrings, screens, fans, and other types of jewelry and artworks. 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️ Over time, particularly due to factors such as humidity, high temperatures, or physical friction, the feathers on kingfisher jewelry may gradually lose their luster, fade, or even fall off. Antique kingfisher feather jewelry, due to its age, is even more prone to becoming fragile and deteriorating naturally. 📷📷📷📷 It's quite poetic to occasionally see such half-fallen kingfisher feather art in a museum.

During the May Day holiday, take a 'City Walk' with the kids for a one-day tour of Dingzhou. Dingzhou was anciently known as Gu, also called Zhongshan Prefecture. In 414 BC, the state of Zhongshan moved its capital to Gu, marking the first time Dingzhou became the capital of a kingdom. In 408 BC, the state of Wei conquered Zhongshan, and Gu came under the jurisdiction of Wei. In 380 BC, Duke Huan of Zhongshan defeated Wei and successfully restored the state, bringing Gu back into the hands of Zhongshan. Not long after, Zhongshan moved its capital from Gu to Lingshou City (now Lingshou County, Shijiazhuang). Over nearly a hundred years, the ancient capital of Zhongshan changed to Lingshou. By 154 BC, Dingzhou was known as Lunu, and it was the capital of the Zhongshan state during the Han Dynasty. Emperor Jing of Han (grandson of Liu Bang) appointed his ninth son, Liu Sheng, as the king of Zhongshan, with the capital at Lunu (today's Dingzhou City), governing 14 counties: Lunu, Beiping County (now Mancheng County, Baoding), Beixincheng (now Xushui County, Baoding), Tang County, Shenzhe, Kujiao (now Xingyi Town, Xingyi Village, Dingzhou), Anguo, Quni, Wangdu, Xinshi, Xinchu (now Daxinzhuang Town, Dingzhou), Wuji (now Wuji County, Shijiazhuang), Licheng (now Li County, Baoding), and Anxian (now Gucheng Village, Dingzhou). Visit the Dingzhou Museum to learn about the history of the Zhongshan state.

Dingzhou City Museum is located on the south side of Zhongshan East Road, Dingzhou City, Hebei Province, adjacent to the four major key cultural relics protection units: Kaiyuan Temple Tower, Gongyuan, Confucius Temple, and Yan Yangchu's former residence. Dingzhou City Museum was established in November 1959, and the new museum was opened to the public on August 28, 2018, covering an area of about 36,700 square meters, with a total construction area of 25,600 square meters. The exhibition area of Dingzhou City Museum is 7,000 square meters, with 31,216 cultural relics in its collection, including 965 precious cultural relics, including pottery, porcelain, jade, stone, gold, silver, copper, bone, wood, etc., mainly from the Han and Song dynasties, and the collections have local characteristics and era features. Dingzhou·Baoding

| Dingzhou Museum. A national second-level museum, Dingzhou City Museum has an exhibition area of 7000 square meters, with 31,216 cultural relics in its collection, including 965 precious cultural relics, mainly from the Han and Song dynasties, and the collection has local characteristics and era features. Basic display "Han Family Mausoleum" "Northern Dynasty Buddha" "The Great White of the World" "Thousand Years Outside the Dust" "Hometown Starry Sky" "Golden Emerald Pearl" 🔥Three national treasures of Dingzhou Museum 1⃣️Green jade dragon chi ring bi 2⃣️The story jade seat screen of Dongwang and Xiwang (now borrowed by Nanjing Museum) 3⃣️White glazed dragon head lotus pattern large purification bottle Browsing time: about 3 hours Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (stop admission at 16:30) Closed on Monday