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Grassland bronze

In ancient times in Erdos, in today's Inner Mongolia autonomous region in North China, an agrarian civilization and grassland culture crisscrossed. It produced a distinctive bronze culture as vivid examples of communication between Zhongyuan, the central plains, and the nomadic communities living on the extensive grasslands. Archaic bronzeware found in Erdos exhibited different features from those in the Middle Kingdom, which were presented at rituals and look majestic. Erdos bronze ware is simple in pattern design and made for practical use. Under the Sky, an exhibition at Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan, brings together more than 400 bronze items in the collections of five museums in Inner Mongolia. The culture traces some 3,500 years ago when people there began to make small bronze items for daily use. The show displays a variety of bronzeware, including weapons, ornaments and accessories, when bronze manufacturing flourished from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) until the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220). The show also allows the audience to picture nomadic life back then. The exhibition runs through to Aug 21.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays.13 Binhe Xi Lu, Taiyuan, Shanxi province. 0351-8789-188.