14-Year-Old Turns Bedroom Into Personal Museum Of Ancient Chinese History

A 14-year-old boy from central China has turned his bedroom into a small museum dedicated to ancient Chinese history and literature. Xie Zhaoyutong, a secondary school student from Henan province, has filled his room with antiques and enjoys speaking about them like an ancient scholar, reported South China Morning Post.

Xie collects pottery, ceramics, bricks, and coins from Chinese dynasties spanning more than 3,000 years of history. He can pick up any item from his collection and provide detailed information about it. His key finds include a pottery stove model from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) and a spade coin from the pre-Qin period, dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (771-221 BC). 

While some coins can be worth hundreds or even thousands of yuan, Xie says his coins are of average quality.

Xie purchased most of his collection with his pocket money and often defers small expenses, such as buying new socks. He also collected some antiques for free, such as Han Dynasty bricks he found during family trips to historical sites like Luoyang.

Xie's interest in ancient Chinese culture began at the age of six, when his mother took him to the Zhengzhou Museum. Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province and his birthplace, was also the capital of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BCE). After meeting a friend on the TV program The Chinese Poetry Competition, Xie decided to create his own personal museum in his bedroom.

Every corner of Xie's bedroom is filled with antiques, except for his bed. He considers his bed to be "the container for his body," while the rest of the room is "the container for his soul." In addition to ancient history, Xie also has a keen interest in oracle bone script, the oldest form of Chinese writing.