Suzhou Museum to display Pearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine in complete original form

The original Pearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine, a Northern Song dynasty masterpiece from the Suzhou Museum collection that is officially barred from traveling abroad, will be on display at the museum苏州博物馆本馆 from September 15 to October 18. As a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the museum, the treasure will be shown fully assembled, showcasing its original splendor.

Discovered in the Ruiguang Pagoda in Suzhou, the treasure stands 122.6 cm tall and is divided into four sections from bottom to top, a rare surviving example of high-specification Song dynasty artifacts. Its core structure is carved from Chinese cedar, while its ornamentation employs gold, silver, pearls, agate, crystal and other precious materials, including more than 40,000 pearls. Imaginative in design, it brings together wood carving, jade carving, pearl stringing and fine gold-and-silver metalwork, making it a crowning achievement of exquisite Song dynasty artistry.

Nearly 10 years have passed since it was last displayed in its assembled entirety, making this a rare opportunity not to be missed. Running for 34 days, the exhibition spans the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays.

Scan the mini-program code to make reservations