Ancient Chinese artifacts at the Ming Dynasty exhibition. [Photo by Wang Zhenghua/Shanghai Star]

The Ming 50 years exhibition

A 20-munite ride from the Shard took us to the British Museum, where the "Ming: 50 years that changed China" exhibition is on display until Jan 5. If you are traveling to London in the next month, it is not to be missed.

The 50 years between 1400 and 1450 saw China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) establish Beijing as the capital and build the world-famous Forbidden City. The emperors who ruled this vast swathe of territory used princes to control the regions, and many of the exhibition's treasures originated from those imperial and princely courts.

New excavations over the past 10 years have unearthed a wealth of new treasures, never before seen in the UK or even in China.

Spectacular objects in the exhibition include exquisite porcelain, gold, jewelry, furniture, paintings, sculptures and textiles. These are drawn from museums across China and the rest of the world, as well as the British Museum's own collection.

One of the most impressive exhibits for me is a prince's embroidered silk robe, which has survived, intact, for 600 years and is extremely rare. Prince Huang of Lu was buried with the silk costume and six other dragon robes.

Research shows that it was originally bright yellow, with paler yellow dragons woven in a raised pattern on the front, back and shoulders. By wearing it, the prince signaled that he represented the emperor outside the capital city.