Henan Museum

Henan was the heart of the earliest Chinese states, and the provincial museum holds the material to show it: Shang and Zhou ritual bronzes from Anyang and Zhengzhou, including the Lotus and Crane square pot from a Spring and Autumn tomb, jade from Neolithic cultures, a bone flute from Jiahu dated to around seven thousand BC and playable, and Tang and Song ceramics. The building, completed in 1998, is a stepped pyramid form drawn from ancient observatory design. An ensemble performs on replicas of ancient instruments in the museum, including sets of chime stones and bells. Entry is free but requires online booking, as with most major Chinese museums.

What you actually see

• The Shang and Zhou bronzes - ritual vessels from the earliest dynastic capitals.
• The Jiahu bone flute - a playable instrument around nine thousand years old.
• The Lotus and Crane pot - the celebrated Spring and Autumn bronze.
• The ancient music performances - replicas of chime bells and stones played daily.

When to go

Year-round; the museum closes on Mondays. Booking opens several days ahead and slots for weekends go quickly. Music performances run to a daily schedule.

Honest expectations

Booking is required and awkward without a Chinese phone number. The collection assumes some familiarity with dynastic chronology. English labelling is partial. Zhengzhou has poor air quality on many days.

Nearby

Kaifeng lies east; Luoyang and the Longmen Grottoes are west.