Heyday of the Late Shang Dynasty is an assembly of selected relics uncovered from the Yin Ruins, or Yinxu, since the 1950s. On show are bronze wares, jade pieces and bone objects from the tombs of high-ranking royalty-testimony to the magnificent civilization of the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC).

The exhibition hints at the rich social life of Shang dignitaries, including the hierarchy of powers, ceremonies and music, religion and oracle bone scripts. One of China's oldest archaeological sites, Yinxu contains the remains of the city of Yin, which served as the dynasty's capital in its later years. The site occupies about 30 square kilometers in Anyang, Henan province, and only 15 percent of it has been excavated.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays, until April 8. National Museum of China, east to the Tian'anmen Square, 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.

A square bronze vessel found in the Tomb of Fu Hao, a Shang Dynasty queen. [Photo provided to China Daily]