The Pearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine, dating back to the Northern Song, will be fully assembled and displayed at the Suzhou Museum from September 15 to October 18 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the museum. In addition, the permanent exhibition at the museum will be upgraded, with more than 40 percent of the exhibits being renewed.
The spectacular Pearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine was discovered in the celestial chamber on the third floor of the Ruiguang Temple Pagoda in Suzhou. It is indisputably the Suzhou Museum’s most celebrated collection item and one of the precious cultural relics banned from being exhibited abroad. Standing 122.6 centimeters tall, the pillar has a main body made of nanmu wood and is adorned with gold, silver, pearls, agate, crystal, and other precious materials. Its design features imaginative scenes such as nine dragons coiling around Mount Sumeru and eight Vajra warriors guarding the Buddhist shrine. Integrating wood carving, jade carving, pearl threading, fine gold and silver craftsmanship, it is hailed as a masterpiece that epitomizes the exquisite craftsmanship of the Song Dynasty.
The Suzhou Museum will carry out an upgrade of its permanent displays after daily closing hours between September 14 and 22. While retaining the original framework of the permanent exhibition, the upgrade places greater emphasis on the narrative logic between showcases, presenting content in the form of small thematic sections, with more detailed and informative captions for cultural relics. A host of artefacts of great historical and aesthetic value will be on show in the renewed permanent galleries, including the Sword of King Guang of Wu dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period, a Tang tri-color pottery xun in the shape of a Hu figure’s head, and a nanmu scripture chest from the Wuyue Kingdom period of the Five Dynasties.
The Suzhou Museum is an even more anticipated destination this autumn. It adopts a time-slot reservation system, with bookings available up to seven days in advance. The museum is expected to see an influx of visitors during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday.
