A pair of gold-plated bronze artifacts of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) are among the items on show at the exhibition Civilizations of the Qin and Han Dynasties. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

It bears a four-character inscription that reads "the empress' seal". Its handle is carved to resemble a chihu, a mythical creature that often appeared on emperors' and empresses' seals since the Han era.

The show's architectural displays also feature symbology that hails imperial power, Shan says.

Shan says visitors should let their imagination run free when immersing themselves in the period.

"One can't help but feel people in the Han Dynasty were much more creative－for example, how they envisaged the afterlife and how they prepared for the next world by making such sophisticated burial objects as bronze money trees," she says.

"The exhibition samples artifacts spanning four centuries. Every item is highly representative of a period's brilliance and richness."

Contact the writer at linqi@chinadaily.com.cn

If you go

9 am-5 pm, through Nov 30. Closed on Mondays. 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.