Sui Dynasty splendor at the National Museum

The stone sarcophagus of Li Jingxun. [Photo/Wei Yao]

Artifacts from the best-preserved Sui Dynasty (581-618) tomb ever discovered are currently on display at the National Museum of China, shedding light on the art and traditions of this brief but transformative period of Chinese history. The tomb belongs to Li Jingxun, a girl of noble birth who died at the age of 9, having been dearly beloved by the Sui royal family.

The Sui Dynasty was the origin of one of China's greatest periods of artistic accomplishment, which reached its peak during the following Tang Dynasty (618-907). Titled Discoveries at Li Jingxun's Tomb, the exhibition runs until October 8 and brings together 240 artifacts relating to Li as well as 150 other important archaeological findings from the Sui Dynasty and its preceding Northern and Southern Dynasties (420-589).