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A Must-See Exhibit “Phoenix Kingdoms” at Asian Art Museum (On View ’til July 22)

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Rising from the ashes of conquest, two brilliant but forgotten cultures claim their rightful places in China’s history. “Phoenix Kingdoms: The Last Splendor of China’s Bronze Age” is on view through July 22, 2024.

Erased from history, reborn as legend. Named as an exhibition to visit in the country this year by The New York Times, “Phoenix Kingdoms” at the Asian Art Museum showcases the artistic and technological advancements of the Zeng and Chu states of Bronze Age China. Enter through a fissured rock, become transformed into an animated phoenix, and find dozens of mythical creatures to discover how these Yangzi River kingdoms influenced centuries of Chinese art and religion.

Phoenix Kingdoms

Exhibit runs April 19 – July 22, 2024
Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, SF
$30 – Buy Tickets

Timed tickets are required for Phoenix Kingdoms on First Free Sundays. The time you select is your entry time for this exhibition.

Before or after your entry to Phoenix Kingdoms you are welcome to visit other exhibitions, the collection galleries, restaurant, and the Cha May Ching Boutique within our hours of operation. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Your ticket for Phoenix Kingdoms includes general admission. You do not need to purchase a separate general admission ticket.

Museum Hours
Thu: 1 PM–8 PM
Fri–Mon: 10 AM–5 PM
Tue–Wed: Closed

The Asian Art Museum is closed on Jan. 1, Thanksgiving Day, and Dec. 25.

Based on recent archaeological discoveries, Phoenix Kingdoms reveals the previously unknown splendor, sophistication, and extravagance of two kingdoms that flourished at the end of China’s Bronze Age. Conquered by the First Emperor in a brutal country-wide unification, the Zeng and Chu states eventually became mere footnotes in the chronicle of the nation’s development, their stories buried beneath 2,000 years of imperial history.

Yet as the remarkable artifacts in this exhibition attest, these southern kingdoms were in fact technologically and artistically far more advanced than scholars had assumed before the rise of modern archaeology. Their extraordinary material culture reflects a shamanistic spirituality, including belief in human-animal communication, fascination with river and mountain deities, rituals filled with bell and drum music, and a proliferation of magical phoenix totems. Ubiquitous in the art and design of this region, the phoenix reflects an abiding interest in transcendence and immortality; today, with this exhibition showcasing their forgotten glory, these mysterious kingdoms rise from the ashes to claim their rightful places in the history of Chinese art and culture. Learn more.

Phoenix Kingdoms International Symposium
Sunday, July 21, 2024 | RSVP

Join us at the Asian Art Museum for an international one-day symposium accompanying our special exhibition Phoenix Kingdoms: The Last Splendor of China’s Bronze Age. Discover the unique artistic and cultural contributions of the middle Yangzi River region before China’s unification. Nine expert scholars share insights into topics related to the exhibition, drawing from recent archeological discoveries to enrich our understanding of this fascinating and influential era.