Standing in the middle of Tian An Men Square is a moving experience. The concrete landscape and empty sky are overwhelming in their immensity. Space, form, textures, perspectives and colours are defined in an authoritative tone. A millennial history of power struggles, collective tragedies and dreams seems to exude from this vast esplanade. Yet Tian An Men is actually only just over half a century old. In its time, very little seems to have changed: the austerity of the concrete facade has remained unaltered. Like the eye of a tornado, Tian An Men has retained an appearance of immobility in a national context characterised by a thorough, high-paced process of transformation. One only needs to walk a few hundred metres from Tian An Men, along one of the arteries that cross Beijing, to encounter the unmistakable signs of a buoyant country spinning spectacularly ahead.

Tis book examines the transformations occurring in China through the prism of museums, their objects and narratives. Encompassing the social, political, economic and artistic spheres, museums are at the same time trustees of tradition — embodying historical memory and preserving cultural and artistic heritage — and symbols of modernity: showcases of the achievements of a civilisation. Mirroring the past, the present and the future of societies, museums are ideal tools through which to examine the complexity of social change. By casting light on the political role that museums have historically played within the country, this book aims to contribute to a better understanding of contemporary China.