What's on

Returned treasure

A 3,000-year-old bronze vessel was added to the collection of the National Museum of China and displayed to the public in 2018. The object is a fine example of the casting of ceremonial bronze in ancient China and related rituals and hierarchy of the time. Called Hu Ying ("tiger vessel") because of the shape of its lid, it used to be at the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) royal court until it was looted, among other items, when foreign forces raided and set fire to the Old Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860. Decades later it appeared at a London auction, and through negotiations, was returned to China. It is now on show in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, at Hu Ying: New Age, Different Fate, an exhibition that runs through to April 1. Also on display are dozens of bronze items of the time when this vessel was made, between the late Western Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-771 BC) and the early Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), giving a broader perspective of the artistic and technical features of such wares. Many photos, drawings and documents display the history of the Old Summer Palace and focus on the importance of the return of looted artifacts. Harbin Museum is the first stop of a national tour of the exhibits.

9 am-4 pm, closed on Mondays. 1296 Jingjiang West Road, Daoli district, Harbin, Heilongjiang province.

Lower Yangtze

The Yangtze River nurtured Chinese civilization. Running some 6,300 kilometers, the country's longest river has provided for an area of more than 1,800,000 sq km. The lower reaches of the Yangtze, covering Jiangxi, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai, have developed due to the mild and humid climate and an abundance of resources. Nanjing Museum, in Jiangsu, has teamed up with several cultural institutions in the region to mount an exhibition, titled Long-standing and Prosperous, which traces the birth and evolution of cultures along the Yangtze's lower reaches, and how developments in those areas contributed to the country's economy. Objects on show reflect the material and cultural lives of people in the region through the ages, ranging from a Neolithic nephrite disk that sparkles with the glories of Liangzhu culture, in Zhejiang province, to a wood case layered with red lacquer and painted with floral decorations and women figures on its exterior, which exhibits the artistry of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The exhibition looks at the region's landscapes, history and culture, and tells the audience of the importance of the river's conservation. The exhibition runs through to March 31.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 321 Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu district, Nanjing, Jiangsu province.025-8480-7923.

Vintage jewelry

Coco Chanel once said: "Slavish followers of inner beauty, who completely ignore dressing up, are also superficial." Jewelry pieces have been lighting up people's lives, as statements of their taste and thoughts. The advancement of manufacturing and the invention of new materials since the 19th century have greatly prompted the design and production of jewelry. Compound metals and artificial gems replaced the precious and natural ones, and thanks to that, new waves shaped jewelry design and more people could afford glittering ornaments. These changes can be seen at Imprint, an ongoing exhibition at the Tsinghua University Art Museum, which reviews the evolution of jewelry and aesthetics throughout the 20th century. On show are largely brooches and other types of jewelry, made between the 1930s and '80s, featuring Trifari, Coro and Boucher, among other brands, of which the vintage pieces are sought after by collectors today. The exhibits are from Zheng Yingyan, who has accumulated a collection of vintage jewelry over the years. The exhibition runs through to March 26.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. Tsinghua University, Haidian district, Beijing. 010-6278-5903.