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HANGZHOU, China, Nov. 21, 2022 /Xinhua=KYODO JBN/--

On Nov. 22, a museum much anticipated by many history fans across the country

will open in Hangzhou, the capital of eastern China's Zhejiang Province, which

offers a glimpse into the life and culture of one of the most glamorous periods

in ancient China.

Among China's many ancient dynasties, when it comes to the beauty of artifacts,

architecture, literature and art, the Song Dynasty, which dates back about a

thousand years, is a popular choice for many Chinese experts and ordinary

people.

And if people want to feel the splendor of the Song Dynasty in a city, Hangzhou

is undoubtedly the place to go.

This is because Hangzhou, an international city famous for digital economy, was

once the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. In 1138 AD, Zhao Gou, the

founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, set the capital in Lin'an (now

Hangzhou), which ushered in rapid development and became the political,

economic and cultural center of the Southern Song Dynasty, creating a glorious

history in the development history of ancient cities.

Therefore, just like the Qiantang River passing through the city, the bits and

pieces of the Song Dynasty's charming culture have been nourishing Hangzhou,

making it a place full of glamor and flourishing culture.

More than 800 years later, with the change of times and the development of

urban construction, the once prosperous capital of the Southern Song Dynasty is

now buried deep underground.

Hangzhou needs some visible venues to tell the story of the Southern Song

Dynasty to people today. Contemporary residents can't wait to uncover the

mystery of history and feel the elegance and charm of that era through the

unearthed porcelain, brick and tile.

The museum of Deshou Palace of the Southern Song Dynasty is a key to open the

cultural life of that era to the public.

Deshou Palace of the Southern Song Dynasty, built in 1162, is the residence of

Emperor Zhao Gou after abdication, echoing the imperial city in the Southern

Song Dynasty.

It is the most important historical and cultural relics of the Southern Song

Dynasty existing and excavated in Hangzhou, and it is also one of the buildings

with the highest ritual standards in the Southern Song Dynasty in China,

occupying an important position in the history of ancient Chinese architecture

and gardens.

Of course, the old residence is long gone. The Deshou Palace site was first

discovered in 1984. After four large-scale archaeological excavations, large

palace foundations, brick roads, rockery foundations, drainage facilities and

many other relics were found, which serve as windows of archaeological evidence

to provide people with a glimpse of the royal garden style and gardening

technology in the Southern Song Dynasty.

The construction of the museum of Deshou Palace of the Southern Song Dynasty

kicked off on December 28, 2020. After nearly two years of construction, the

elegant Song-style building is actually a relic protection shed, below which is

the ruins of the main hall on display.

It is a restoration of the underground site built in accordance with the

estimated original appearance and scale based on the research of Song Dynasty

construction books, paintings and archaeological findings.

This symbolic restoration is only a small part of the museum, which serves as a

protective shelter for the ruins and also allows people to intuitively

appreciate the architectural beauty in the Southern Song Dynasty.

More notably, a large number of architectural gardens during that period have

been restored and displayed by digital means.

In order to let the audience see the site in a more vivid way, the whole site

area of museum has set up 10 sites with digital displays. One can have a

glimpse into the Deshou Palace and the architectural landscape of the royal

palace in different periods through 3D interactive devices, dynamic long

scrolls, digital projection, interactive AR augmented reality and virtual

reality.

Through the organic integration of the original site and digital means, as well

as immersive and interactive interpretation and display of the site

information, the beauty of the Southern Song Dynasty architecture and garden is

well reproduced for the first time in China based on dedicated restoration.

Today, walking out of the museum, the genes of Song Yun culture could be found

everywhere as they have been engraved in the spirit and blood of the city.

Burning incense, making tea, hanging pictures and arranging flowers, the four

leisurely activities mentioned by Wu Zimu of the Song Dynasty in his book

depicting the life in ancient Hangzhou could be spotted easily even today.

Dongpo meat, butter cake and Dingsheng cake have become taste symbols of the

city. There are also Chinese Hongqu liquor and Southern Song liquor-making

skills, Hangzhou brocade skills, etc. The Song people's pursuit of life

aesthetics has been integrated into the life of the ordinary people today and

become the connection point of cultural genes.

British writer Alain de Botton said that when we call a chair or a house

"beautiful", we are really saying that we like the lifestyle they suggest.

The museum has attracted wide attention because it has cut through the mists of

history to showcase the lifestyle of the Southern Song Dynasty, as well as the

politics, culture, art and life aesthetics at that time. The social environment

of the Southern Song Dynasty created the oriental thought and life, and also

shaped a new height of oriental aesthetics. Its lingering charm still nourishes

Hangzhou and people's life today.

More than 800 years ago, Hangzhou witnessed the boom of art and culture and the

prosperity and elegant lifestyle of local people. After more than 800 years,

the social atmosphere of openness, tolerance and innovation is still strong.

With a local history of over 1,000 years, Song Dynasty charming culture has

become the spiritual footnote of Hangzhou's Chinese modernization dream of

promoting common prosperity.

When having a chance to visit Hangzhou, besides wandering along the West Lake,

don't forget to visit the museum of Deshou Palace of Southern Song Dynasty.

Between the magnificent Song Dynasty paintings, the warm porcelain and the

vivid interplay of light and shadow, one can get a clue of the time-honored

style of Hangzhou and the cultural code of its unwavering vitality.

Source: The Museum of Deshou Palace of Southern Song Dynasty

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   Caption: The external appearance of the Museum of the Deshou Palace of the Southern Song

Dynasty