July 28, 2006
Henan's provincial museum in Zhengzhou has an impressive piece of modern art waiting to greet it's visitors: two rearing elephants that look freeze-dried and are separated by a poorly-rendered, rumpled communist archer, spread like da Vinci's Vitruvian man and topped with a funny hat. (Oh, I almost forgot, the whole thing is a shiny gold color.) Despite this hideous statue, the rest of the museum has a nice collection of artifacts, and remarkably, they're fairly well organized and labeled. Henan has a long history and many of the narratives provide context and give texture to the museum pieces. Sadly, this is the best museum that we've seen in China, with the exception of the small Poly museum in Beijing.
Since part of our trip involves going to tourist destinations, it would be incomplete not to mention that most of those we've encountered in China have been disappointing. Despite, in some cases, their "must see" status. In general, most museums and sites are poorly organized, and artifacts are poorly displayed and labeled. Even when there are labels in English, they either make no sense or convey little useful information, especially given Leah's pet peeve, the absence of dates. Here are some big sites that ranged from okay to would-have-rather-skipped:
1. Forbidden City in Beijing. All of Beijing is under construction in preparation for the Olympics and this is no exception. A barn-shaped scaffolding with green burlap material envelopes the largest palace hall. Plus, it's too big and has far too many people to enjoy comfortably.
Alternative: the imperial palace in Shenyang.
2. Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an. Three big empty pits and a museum with almost nothing in it. The few warriors you can see closely are poorly lit and kept in dirty glass cases. Also, as a sign of how badly the artifacts are protected, the roof of Pit 2 leaks.
Alternative: pictures (maybe on the Internet) would be easier to see/appreciate.
3. Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. Most of the Buddhas are damaged, either by weather or vandals. And several of the caves are now completely bare.
Alternative: Yonggong caves near Datong in Shanxi province.
