The Yecheng Archaeological Museum, rivaling the smile of Qingzhou

I finally saw a masterpiece at the Yecheng Archaeological Museum that rivals the statues of Longxing Temple. During the May Day holiday, I came to the Yecheng Archaeological Museum, located 40 kilometers from the center of Handan City, in Linzhang County. To my surprise, by 10 a.m., the place was already bustling with people, many enthusiasts had come from other places specifically to visit. The museum has four exhibition halls, which mainly display Buddhist statues unearthed from Beiwuzhuang, mainly from the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, and Northern Qi dynasties. Unlike the large round sculptures of Longxing Temple, most of the statues here are niche-style and back-screen style. Especially prominent are the 'Dragon Tree Back Screen' statues, which are typical of the regional characteristics. The Dragon Tree Back Screen refers to the Buddha statue's back screen being composed of two intertwined bodhi trees, with an arc-shaped facade, layered and hollowed-out tree crowns, decorated with dragons, pagodas, flying apsaras, and necklaces. The round and gentle Buddha statues sit in front of the back screen, as if sheltered under the huge bodhi tree, with a unique local character. Moreover, the back screens here are often carved on both sides, some are even gilded and painted, luxurious and noble. Some of the unearthed round sculptures of Buddha reflect the same characteristics as the statues of Longxing Temple from the same period, with both ornately decorated and the simple 'Caoyi Chushui' style. Compared to the 'slender and clear' Buddha statues of the Northern Wei period, the statues from the Eastern Wei and Northern Qi periods are more in line with secular aesthetics, with a more mature grasp of human anatomy, and therefore may resonate more with us today. If you are interested in unearthed Buddhist statues, Beiwuzhuang (Yecheng Archaeological Museum), Longxing Temple (Qingzhou Museum), Xiude Temple (Hebei Museum Quyang Exhibition Hall and the Forbidden City), Nannie Shui (Nannie Shui Stone Carving Museum), and Wanfo Temple (Sichuan Museum) are all treasures that you must make a special trip to see. Finally, a complaint: the museum's artifacts are all very impressive, but the exhibition layout and lighting are poor. Especially the Northern Qi covered bowl pagoda in the central hall on the first floor, surrounded by a circular glass, reflects strongly from any angle when photographed. ——Travel tips—— ▫️Opening hours: Be sure to note that the museum closes for a break at noon. The specific visiting hours are - Morning: 9:00-11:30; Afternoon: 1:30-5:30 (Spring/Autumn/Winter), 2:30-5:30 (Summer). Closed on Mondays (open as usual if it falls on a statutory holiday). ▫️Tickets: Free, no reservation required, just register at the entrance. ▫️Visiting time: About 2 hours. ▫️Museum grade: Second level. ▫️Reference video: 'Clouds Over Longmen, Hand in Hand with Xiangtangshan Yecheng' Episode 4, documentary 'The Lost Ancient Capital: Yecheng from the Perspective of the Yecheng Museum'