Cultural relics from the Northern Dynasty (386-581) go on display at the new Northern Dynasty Art Museum in Datong. [Photo/Shanxi Evening News]

The Datong Northern Dynasty Art Museum, the only museum focusing on the cultural relics of the Northern Dynasty (386-581) in the country, opened in Datong city in North China's Shanxi province on Aug 24. 

The Northern Dynasty is the general term for the Xianbei people's regimes that were contemporary with the Southern Dynasty (420-589) in China's history. During the period, the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) retained its capital in Pingcheng (now Datong) for 97 years. Datong was the political, economic and cultural center of northern China at that time. 

The Northern Dynasty was an era in which the various ethnic groups in northern China moved from chaos and conflict towards a great integration, which in turn produced many exquisite artistic creations.

The artifacts at the Northern Dynasty Art Museum are divided into major display sections. On exhibition are statues, stone carvings, writing stones, funeral artifacts, pottery sculptures, bronzes, ceramics, inscriptions, architectural decoration components and paintings – showcasing the prosperity of the dynasty and Datong's cultural collisions and integration in that period.