A bronze Zun vessel decorated with motifs of beasts and birds. [Photo/Official Website of Sanxingdui Museum]

14. Dialogue between bronze vessels from the Yellow River Valley and the Yangtze River Valley encompasses over 135 sets of bronzeware unearthed from ancient ruins at Sanxingdui and Jinsha in Sichuan province, Yinxu in Henan province, Panlongcheng in Hubei province and Ningxiang in Hunan province. These exhibits give the viewers a rare peek into what the best bronze works from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) look like, organizers say.

Highlighted national treasures include the simuxin Ding vessel, the only one found so far that carries a human-face motif, a Zun vessel decorated with motifs of beasts and birds and the largest bronze cymbal unearthed so far -- 70 centimeters high, weighing 68 kilograms and inscribed with images of elephants.