Exhibition Overview
The development of early human culture can generally be divided into the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. Towards the end of the long Stone Age, humans had gradually learned to mine and smelt metal ore, eventually developing bronze alloys of copper with tin, lead and other metals to make tools, weapons, utensils, and ornaments. Bronze, as a material, has a low melting point, high hardness and excellent stability. After being buried underground for thousands of years, a green patina formed over the surface of the original golden color, turning the bronze into bluish-green. Thus ancient bronzes are called “qingtong” (literal translation: “bluish-green bronze”) in Chinese. The extensive use of bronze, which led to great economic growth and tremendous changes in societies, is regarded as an important milestone in the evolution of early human culture.
 
This exhibition focuses on the ritual bronzes of Chinese civilization from about 3,000 years ago, and introduces the major types and sophisticated decorations of the time. Fine bronze artifacts from the museum’s collection are showcased. By using innovative multimedia technology, a large-scale immersive theater is installed. In addition, a tactile area of bronze replicas is offered for touch experience. We invite visitors to peek into the material and spiritual world of ancient people through this multi-sensory exhibition.

The Bronze Age of Chinese Civilization
The Bronze Age of the Chinese civilization began about 4,000 years ago, and lasted for around 1,600 years, including the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods as recorded in historical documents. When the bronzes were first cast, the appearance was shiny golden-yellow, so people also called them “jin” (gold) or “ji jin” (auspicious gold). The aristocracy at that time not only used the precious bronze alloys to cast manufacturing tools and military weapons, but also had them made into large quantities of exquisite ritual utensils. They were mainly used in important occasions such as rituals, banquets and ceremonies, in which they facilitated communication with ancestors and spirits. Ritual bronzes signify the high status and social class of their users, adequately reflecting the importance of religion and ritual systems in early China. 

Richly Varied Decorative Patterns
Sophisticated decorations are an essential feature of early Chinese ritual bronzes. The diverse designs not only intensified the beauty of the vessels, but also served as a medium of communication between humans and the supernatural world. The decorative patterns on bronzes were commonly derived from ancient people’s observation and interpretation of nature. The designs can be roughly divided into: animal motifs, plant motifs, geometric patterns, and other patterns inspired by imagination, such as the mysterious animal mask, auspicious phoenix, and dignified dragon.

Major Types and Functions
During the distant Bronze Age, religious worship was of utmost importance in everyday life. To show piety and respect for etiquette, cleanliness was earnestly pursued in rituals. The “Pan” vessel with a circular foot was the main utensil for washing hands; it also served as a mirror when filled with water. Delicate wine and food were not only offered as sacrifice to ancestors and spirits, but also consumed by the living during the rituals. In the Shang period, there was a wide variety of wine containers, such as the three-legged "Jue" vessel, which can be heated from the bottom to warm wine and has a round spout through which liquid is poured out of. The “Zun” vessel, recognizable by its wide trumpet-shaped mouth, was used for storing large volumes of wine. In the Zhou period, food vessels took center stage among ritual bronzes. The three-legged “Ding” cauldron was the main cooking utensil, heated at the bottom to prepare meat. The “Gui” vessel was for containing food. In addition to offering vessels, musical instruments were also important. The “Zhong” bells were the major type. The striking of these bells creates a sonorous clanging sound, bringing an air of harmony and solemnity in the ritual ceremony.

Ritual Sound of the King: Bell of Zong Zhou
The Zhong bell of Zong Zhou is an exceptionally valuable National Treasure in the National Palace Museum collection, currently displayed in the Museum’s northern branch. This bell was a musical instrument commissioned by the King Li in the late Western Zhou period (about the 9^th century B.C.E.) for performing ancestral worship rituals. The bell is decorated with thirty-six nipple-shaped pegs, coiling dragon motifs, and a long and extensive inscription.
 
The inscription contains 123 characters and describes that during the reign of the King Li, southern states launched a military offense into the land of the Zhou. The King personally led his troops to subdue the enemy; as a result, twenty-six small states paid tribute to the Zhou throne. To thank the ancestors and gods for their blessing, and to celebrate his military achievement, the King commissioned the bell of Zong Zhou, which carried his hopes for eternal peace and prosperity for the country and generations to come.
 
The National Palace Museum draws inspiration from the bell of Zong Zhou and creates the immersive theater Ritual Sound of the King. With the special effects of immersive projection, the audience may fully immerse themselves in the story where one's imagination and reality collide. This film adopts the rhythms of symphonic poetry, combined with modern scientific theories, to interpret the cosmology of the Zhou people and rituals through which they communicated with ancestors. It also highlights the importance of bronzes in the ritual and music system during that time.

Ritual Sound of the King  Immersive Theater
Film Screening Times