A rare gathering of some of the most splendid treasures illustrating China's long history promises to delight visitors to the Olympic city at the Capital Museum.

The exhibition has gathered 169 of the best pieces from 55 museums across the country. The exhibits are the pick of the crop, and rarely if ever leave their home museums. Many exhibits were familiar to Chinese visitors from schoolbooks or from frequent appearances in the media. But for many this was their first time face to face with these relics. It was a thrilling experience and, to many people of all ages a dream come true.

For anyone with an interest in China, and even for those with no knowledge whatsoever, the exhibition will be enlightening. The show was well organized, breaking into four parts and ten chapters: from "The Dawn--prehistoric times before 21st century BC--the times of ritual and music" to "The End of Classics--10th to 19th century AD".

Expo information:

Time: July 29-Oct 7
Venue: Capital Museum
Ticket: 30 RMB
How to get there: Subway: Muxidi Station, Line 1
Tel: 010-63370491 63370492