Guangdong Museum

#guangzhoutrip
💫 Missed the exhibit? Don’t worry — I saw the Forbidden City’s clocks at YueBo for you!

Push open the gilded doors on the 3rd floor of Guangdong Museum and step into a world where mechanics meet poetry. At the “Brilliance of Time” exhibition, I finally understood the romance behind the phrase “Chimes of a Flourishing Era.”

1️⃣ Moonlight Sonata
In a dimly lit room, a gilded copper musical clock with a rotating duck and lotus glides in a glass case. As its mechanical swan flutters across the water, I imagined the scene when Emperor Qianlong once dined with Mongolian nobles — the clock’s chimes harmonizing with the melody of “Jasmine Flower.”

2️⃣ The Fingerprints of a Master
I lingered by “Pan Chun’s Workshop”, watching the transparent movement unfold like butterfly wings. These Guangzhou-made clocks from the Qianlong era had a joinery error margin of less than 0.01 mm — craftsmen were so precise, they could sense the metal’s temperature with the tip of their tongue.

3️⃣ The Shape of Time
Walking through the holographic curtain of the “Time Illusion” section felt like stepping into a dream — 18th-century gears floated like fireflies. I reached out to touch the tower-wheel parts suspended in midair.

⏳ Time beyond the exhibit
Atop the bell tower of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, you’ll find a weather vane made from Qing-era clock parts
#travel

Post by Fly with Jess | Apr 18, 2025