In the documentary Every Treasure Tells a Story produced by CCTV， the creativity of ancient Chinese people is appreciated through 100 national treasures. Each of them is introduced in a 5-minute episode to tell a story， explaining the Chinese spirit， aesthetics and values behind them. This documentary provides a chance for the audience to understand the cultures of China from a fresh perspective. The second season was highly rated by the audience and stirred a passion for culture and tradition.
This book presents the stories of the 25 treasures in the second season of the documentary. Between the lines. you may find their legendary experiences that were hardly known and look for traces of the Chinese spirit. We are sure that these stories， which are full of ups and downs， will open a window for readers to gain a touch of the everlasting value and charm of the great country's gems. Thanks to the humanistic elements and knowledge， this artfully designed book is also an ideal choice for readers， especially fans of history and cultural relics， to dig deeper about the legend， history and Chinese culture after they turn off their electronic devices because it offers abundant content about how these treasures could possibly have been made， as well as traditional culture， and differences between China and the rest of the world.
Table of Contents
Preface
Gold Crown with Eagle Finial-Friend and Foe
Warring States Gold-inlaid Bronze Ewer-Art of War
The Chime-bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng-Tunes of Antiquity
Wood Carved Double Headed Tomb Guardian-Between this World and the Next
Silk Painting Depicting A Man Riding A Dragon-At Heaven's Call
The Terracotta Warriors-An Image of Empire
Rectangular Measuring Vessel of Shang Yang-Measuring Unity
Qin Bronze Chariots and Horses-The Road to Eternity
Liye Qin Slips-A Slip in Time
Jade in Nanyue-A Symbol of Peacefulness
The General's Tomb-A Will of Granite
"Five Stars Rise in the E，ast" Brocade Arm Guud-"Five Stars Rising in the East Favor the Middle Kingdom"
Jade Doorknocker with Four Symbols of the Sky-The Dragon， Tiger， Bird， and Tortoise
The Xiping Stone Classics-Broken Yet Awaiting Reunion
Stone Carving of Confucius Meeting Laozi-Tracing Back the Roots
Changxin Palace Lamp-A Light from the Han Dynasty
Plain Unlined Gauze Gown-Luxury and Grace
The Twenty-Eight Mansions Cosmic Plates and Sundial-Cycles of Time
Lacquer Dish with the Leopard Cat Pattern-The Kittens on the Lacquer Dish
Counting Rods-A System of Numbers
Gold-inlaid Bronze Hill Censer-The Calculation of Clouds
"Forever Forget Me Not" Silver Belt Hook-A Secret Oath Worn Close to the Heart
Gold and Silver Inlay Cloud-patterned Rhinoceros Vessel-The Spirited Beast
Tomb Figurine of A Storyteller-The Show Must Go On Forever
Galloping Bronze Horse-The Celestial Steed
A Dialogue across Time and Space
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Preface
With a grand history of more than 5，000 years， the Chinese nation has created a brilliant and gorgeous Chinese civilization which has left behind it a vast number of treasures.
President Xi Jinping stressed that "we need to bring all collections in our museums. all heritage structures across our land and all records in our classics to life. In this way， the Chinese civilization， together with the rich and colorful civilizations created by the people of other countries， will provide mankind with the right spiritual guidance and strong motivation."
China's National Cultural Heritage Administration has always committed itself to the protection of Chinese cultural heritage. With the purpose of passing on the Chinese culture and inheriting the Chinese civilization， it has continuously enhanced the protection of cultural relics， safeguarded the cultural heritage， promoted the rational use of cultural relics， and deepened the international exchange and cooperation in terms' of cultural relics. There are 767，000 immovable cultural relics and 108 million items or sets of state-owned cultural relics in museums nationwide， which have a long history and have become a cultural symbol of China in the new era.
