Liaoning Provincial Museum (Liaoning Sheng Bowuguan)

Description:

• Don't let the giant brontosaurus guarding the entrance wagging its tail and giving a mechanical roar every few seconds deter you; this museum, opened in late 2004, houses an impressive collection of pieces mostly from the Qing dynasty. The large, circular layout gives the museum a comfortable, open feel, while the vaulted ceilings absorb the sounds of chattering tour groups. Notable exhibits include the Zhongguo Gudai Shibei Zhi Zhan, classical Chinese stone tablets tracing calligraphy from the Han dynasty, and the Gudai Huobi Zhan, or the Chinese Money exhibition, which displays everything from rudimentary seashell beads to ancient gold ingots from which the auspicious Chinese delicacy jiaozi (steamed dumplings) get their shape. On the third floor, the curators have imported leftover Jurassic Park props. This exhibit appears to be purely for entertainment and does not suggest that dinosaurs ever existed here.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010