An exhibition on the tomb murals of the Northern Dynasty (386-581) provides insight into the times. [Photo/shanxi.gov.cn]

Tomb murals from the Northern Dynasty (386-581) currently being displayed at an exhibition in Shanxi Museum in North China's Shanxi province have attracted crowds of visitors.

The province, home to a large number of extant cultural relics from the period, was once the core ruling area of the dynasty and a melting pot of different cultures and ethnic groups, according to Liang Yujun, the exhibition curator. 

Experts say the artifacts on display give a unique window into the society of the times. 

That's especially so with the display of the restored Shuiquanliang Tomb, which reflects the advanced concepts and technologies used by Shanxi Museum in protecting and exhibiting ancient tomb murals, according to researcher An Ruijun.

Another researcher Qu Chuanfu who participated in the archeological excavation said that the tomb from the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) in Shuiquanliang village in Shuozhou city was found relatively intact.

Qu said that was due to its location on a high elevation with little rain erosion, while 90 percent of the murals in the Jiuyuangang Tomb in Xinzhou city were destroyed by tomb robbers. 

A visitor reads about a mural exhibit at the exhibition. [Photo/Xinhua]

To strengthen the protection of the Northern Dynasty tomb murals, the province's archaeology institute, together with Shanxi Museum and local cultural relics departments, carried out rescue excavations on the tombs and then moved the murals.

Huo Baoqiang, deputy director of Shanxi Museum Heritage Protection Center, presided over the restoration of tomb murals, where restorers used special-shaped supports to reinforce the structure of tombs while also displaying the murals to their greatest extent.

All the exhibits are displayed without glass protection, to give visitors best viewing experience and show the true state of the murals.

"By explaining the content of the murals and displaying the cracks on the exhibits, we aim to let visitors and audiences know ancient people's view of life and death and raise their awareness of the need to protect cultural relics," said Jin Jiayue, a museum lecturer who broadcast the exhibition online during the novel coronavirus outbreak. 

Since its launch last year on Dec 12, the exhibition has drawn masses of visitors and audiences online and offline, with the page views of the displays on social media platform Sina Weibo exceeding 33 million by May 28. 

To allow more to experience the unique charms of the Northern Dynasty murals, the exhibition will be postponed to June 28, while further preparations are made. Shanxi Museum will also launch a digital exhibition of the Northern Dynasty murals.

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