Splendor and Beauty: The Archaeological Finds in Recent 20 Years in China displays 360 sets of artifacts unearthed from around the country. A model of the Ashoka Pagoda is one of the biggest draws at the show. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

5. Splendor and Beauty: The Archaeological Finds in Recent 20 Years in China

The display combines 360 sets of artifacts from 49 institutions across the country, with most items never having traveled outside their home provinces.

They cover almost all archaeological events occupying media headlines in recent years, ranging from the discovery of the tomb of Marquis Haihun in Jiangxi province, nicknamed "China's Tutankhamun tomb" for its huge sum of nuggets, to the tomb of the notorious Emperor Yang from the Sui Dynasty (581-618).

Four sections are designed in the exhibition in time order. The Paleolithic and Neolithic periods show the origin of Chinese people's aesthetics. Ritualistic items from Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties (c. 21st century BC-256 BC), including bronze wares, jade and lacquer wares, reflect sharp changes in social structures and philosophies.

If you go:

9 am - 5 pm, through Aug 27. Entrance until 4 pm (closed on Mondays). Exhibition Hall B, the first floor, Capital Museum, 16 Fuxingmenwai Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6339-3339. www.capitalmuseum.org.cn. Entry ticket is free of charge, but online reservation is needed.