Oracle bones
Where Chinese writing began.
Windmemories — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Caidiyun — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0
The world's first national museum devoted to writing, built in Anyang, called «the capital of writing» because oracle bones, the earliest known Chinese writing, came out of its soil at nearby Yinxu; it covers 143 mu with 34,500 square metres of floor space. Its halls trace the development of Chinese writing over more than three thousand years, from inscriptions on oracle bones and bronze vessels to writing on wooden slips and silk, then calligraphy and printing, alongside the scripts of China's many peoples, and a huge gateway modelled on an ancient character fronts the entrance. Entry is free with real-name advance booking, Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm with last entry at 4.30 pm, closed on Mondays, per visitor guides.
Where Chinese writing began.
Three thousand years.
Shaped like an old character.
656 Renmin Avenue East, Beiguan District, Anyang
Yes, both are in Anyang a short drive apart, but book the museum ahead and note that it closes on Mondays.