The "Myriad Splendors of Beijing" Tour Launches: A Visit to the Capital Museum

Author | Liu Ziyan

On the afternoon of August 31, 25 online influencers from fields including finance, cultural tourism and popular science gathered at the Capital Museum. The "Vibrant Vistas of the Chinese Path to Modernization" Beijing Tour for Online Influencers, hosted by the Online Social Work Bureau of the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Beijing Cyberspace Administration, and undertaken by The Beijing News Shell Finance, was officially launched here. At the first stop of the event, online influencers walked into the exhibition hall of the Capital Museum to visit the grand exhibition "Corn, Gold, Jaguar: Masterpieces of Ancient Maya and Andean Civilizations".

This exhibition brings together about 800 fine collections from museums in Mexico and Peru. The online influencers visited three exhibition zones in sequence: "The World of Maya", "Treasures of Kings" and "Spirits of Nature". Rich collections including painted pottery plates decorated with priests and birds, golden sun-patterned discs, and "Jaguar Man" masks came into sight, telling the stories of the Maya and Andean civilizations that span thousands of years. Inside the exhibition hall, online influencers raised their cameras one after another, and the sound of shutter clicks kept ringing out.

In the eyes of the Maya people, corn is far more than a crop. The commentator introduced that it was not only the staple food that the Maya people relied on for survival, but also endowed with the meaning of life cycle. The whole process of corn from sowing, growth to maturity and harvest corresponds exactly to the process of the Corn God's death, descending to the underworld and being reborn.

Photo: Taken by the author

"In the concept of ancient Andean people, gold is the sweat of the sun, and silver is the tears of the moon." The commentator explained that in the Andean civilization, gold and silver were endowed with divinity and were not used as currency for circulation. Therefore, masks, nose ornaments, ear ornaments and scepters made of gold and silver mostly assumed the functions of holding sacrificial ceremonies and demonstrating power.

Photo: Taken by the author

Walking into the "Spirits of Nature" exhibition zone, various animals with different shapes appeared one after another: hummingbirds that symbolize fertility and love, spider monkeys with long trailing tails, as well as armadillos and opossums. These exhibits reflect the ancient American residents' careful observation of nature, and also show their natural concept of equality between human beings and all creatures.

During the visit, the online influencers kept aiming their cameras at the details of the exhibits. What is the material of the cultural relic? How to wear the nose ornament? How did the ancient characters and calendars record time? Questions kept popping up, and everyone stopped to take photos, exchange and discuss from time to time, while looking for creative angles for their subsequent content creation.

This event lasts for five days. In the following days, the online influencers will go deep into Haidian District, Fangshan District, Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area and Chaoyang District, moving from the cultural context of the ancient capital to the cutting edge of science and technology, from manufacturing workshops to consumer landmarks, and use their footsteps and cameras to experience the Beijing practice of the Chinese path to modernization in an immersive way.

Photo: Taken by the author