Have you ever heard of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals? 🐭🐮🐯🐰🐲🐍🐴🐑🐵🐔🐶🐷 Each animal has its own special meaning in Chinese culture. Now, imagine seeing four of their ancient bronze statues up close!
In Macao, visitors are excited to see the bronze heads of the Tiger 🐯, Pig 🐷, Ox 🐮, and Monkey 🐵 from Beijing’s Old Summer Palace. These aren’t just any statues—they’re over 160 years old and have an incredible history!
A long time ago, these bronze heads were part of a magical water fountain in the Old Summer Palace (also known as Yuanmingyuan) in Beijing. This palace was a beautiful imperial garden built during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The fountain was super cool because it told time using water! Every two hours, one of the 12 animal heads would spray water, each taking turns throughout the day.
In 1860, during a time of conflict, the palace was damaged, and many treasures were taken away. Some of the bronze animal heads were lost and are still missing today. But now, four of them are on display in an exhibition called “The Maritime Silk Road – Discover the Mystical Seas and Encounter the Treasures of the Ancient Trade Route” at the Poly MGM Museum in Macao.
This exhibition has over 200 amazing artifacts that show the rich history of trade and cultural exchange along the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Visitors can learn about the past and see these incredible works of art up close.
These bronze heads help us connect with history and understand the rich culture of China.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
