Second visit to Beijing Part 1 The National Museum.

On our first visit to Beijing we had covered off a lot of the "bucket list items" , the wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and eaten our bodyweight of the best Peking Duck I've ever had but we ran out of time so put Beijing down for a second look over and in particular I had the National Museum very much on my to-do list.

So you thought it was quite a process getting on an overseas flight with all the security, (?) well double that and you have the National Museum - I could only assume at the time this was because all the really good stuff is here. To be fair I haven't seen the big European or British Museums but the Chinese National is a mind bender of the most beautifully intricate artefacts imaginable.

Its really easy to find as its on the eastern side of Tiananmen Square.

Gold inlay on bronze 

Tiny gold figures 

 

 It was the bronze-work that really stunned me 

Gold inlayed creature 

Detail from above vessel 

Further detail - how is this possible in a bronze casting?

These (below) were in the very beautiful gift shop and seemed typical of our museum gift shops - well stocked with quality items (for a price) 

I think (above and below) this might have been the first ever "paper" money.

On the way from a day at the museum absolutely starving - fruit on a stick - I found it a bit on the bitter side but no ill-effects. We walked 14,670 steps that day most of them in the museum !!