Highlights of Tianjin History Museum

Although Tianjin prides itself on its modernity, the city also has a 600-year history and many stories to tell.

On the first floor of the Tianjin History Museum, visitors are greeted by an enormous reclining Buddha excavated from the Mogao Grotto, measuring 7.2 m tall, 18.1 m long and 6.8 m wide. The lower level also showcases the 2008 Olympics-oriented photo exhibition Sharing Glory and Dreams.

Several special relics halls on the second floor display hundreds of historical artifacts, including all the usual suspects - calligraphic works, jade seals and ceramic pieces. Although English signage is scant, some of the more interesting exhibitions feature bilingual descriptions. These include a display of oracle bones called The King Killing 500 Slaves as Sacrifices at Once, a dragon-shaped silver axe from the Song Dynasty and a Neolithic "pig dragon" jade carving.