Have you made plans for this upcoming Qingming holiday? How about checking out Baoji City, a historical and cultural treasure of Shaanxi Province. Here, you can immerse yourselves in the rich and brilliant history and enjoy the beauty of the mountains and rivers. Let's explore Baoji this holiday, travel through time, and appreciate the wonders of nature.

Baoji Bronzeware Museum

The Baoji Bronzeware Museum is an archaeology museum in Baoji City, known as "a city of bronzeware." The museum bears more than 480,000 cultural relics, known for the large number of bronzewares, the completeness of the varieties, and the cruciality of the inscriptions on the bronzewares. Among these relics, the most significant is He Zun, the oldest artifact in China with the written characters representing "Middle Kingdom", namely "中国".   

   

Cultural relics in the Baoji Bronzeware Museum

 He Zun

He Zun is an ancient Chinese ritual bronze vessel of the Zun shape. As a zun used for sacrificial ritual, the relic belonged to a feudal noble named He, hence the name He Zun. It dates from the era of early Western Zhou (1046–771 BC). Today, it is preserved in the Baoji Bronze Ware Museum in Shaanxi. He Zun, unearthed in 1963, later became one of only 64 designated pieces of historical artifacts that can never leave Chinese soil.

The inscription at the base of He Zun

Inside the container, at the base, it contained 12 rows of 122 inscribed Chinese characters. Of the 122 characters, 119 are identified while 3 are unknown. The inscription bears great historical significance as it is about the fact that King Cheng of Zhou built the then capital Luoyi. Among the characters, the phrase "宅兹中国" was inscribed in the Zhou era form, which generally means "I want to stay in the center of the world." This is the earliest known artifact to contain the word "Middle Kingdom/China". 

Opening hours: 9:00—17:00 (no entry from 16:30)

Search the official WeChat account of "宝鸡青铜器博物院" and make the reservation for free.

Lingguan Gorge at Fengxian County

Pic from Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

Lingguan Gorge, located 5km southwest of Fengxian County of Baoji City, is a national 3A-level scenic spot featuring a railway heritage, oxygen bars, and ancient Qiang culture. Sitting at the junction of Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, it has been a critical fort between them since ancient times and the first grand gorge along the Jialing River.

Baoji-Chengdu Railway Cultural Experience Hall

Lingguan Gorge was built on a railway heritage and endowed with hills and waters. It is a comprehensive tourist attraction that integrates natural resources, cultural landscapes, eco-tourism resources, and adventure experiences.

Pic from Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

The scenic spot is characterized by exquisite peaks, clear water, steep cliffs, eccentric stones, and bubbling streams. Lingguan Gorge also boasts the unique Danxia landform and distinctive gorge scenery. In spring, the area stands out with assorted flowers and bluish water.  

Opening hours: 8:00—18:00

You may refer to major travel platforms in China for ticket info by searching "灵官峡景区"