Being a Chinese, I was quite skeptical initially as there’s a Cantonese saying that goes something like this “Cheap things, not good; Good things, not cheap”. I was apprehensive when I heard about these ‘free’ attractions. Are these so-called attractions worth visiting? Are they free because they want to force you to buy something while you’re there? The best way to find out about these places is to read reviews! So here’s what I found out about this Too-Good-To-Be-True-But-Is-Real-And-Awesome-Free-Attraction right in the heart of metropolitan London – The British Museum.
Norman Foster’s stunning glass-covered Great Court British Museum allows its visitors to literally travel around the world. Not only that, you can travel back in time to learn about the rise and fall of some of the world’s greatest civilizations. This landmark museum is founded in 1753 and is home to over seven millions exhibition-worth objects collected from the whole world that bring you on a journey of exploration, discovery, and enjoyment.
Visiting British Museum can become an overwhelming experience if you’ve only visited our own Malaysian local museums. British Museum is HUGE. To really see everything in this museum, it’ll take you more than a day. But don’t worry; if you’re afraid about getting lost in the numerous corridors and exhibitions rooms, there are daily gallery tours as well as guided tours. If you’re adventurous and would like to explore in your own style, just grab a map and an audiotour headset available in various language, and you’ll be all set to go.
Click for a larger image to see the sections of the British MuseumOne thing you must see is the world renowned Rosetta Stone, the valuable key to the decipherment of hieroglyphs. Perhaps it may just look like a plain old stone with inscriptions on it, but the Rosetta Stone has helped lead the discovery and understanding of the Ptolemaic era (before about 332 BC) and laid the foundations of our knowledge of ancient Egyptian language and culture.
Rosetta StoneIf you are a big fan of the movie “The Mummy”, you’ll be sure to be thrilled on the journey into the Mummy at British Museum. Every one of the mummies in this museum was once a living, breathing Egyptian who had gone through about their everyday life. Studying these mummified people tells us about their way of lives thousands of years ago. There are Egyptian mummies which had been in the museum for more than a hundred years and remained sealed. This is because unwrapping the mummies can badly damage them. Yet, with the current amazing technology, there are images that are taken of the inside of the mummies without having to open up the case.
Seeing a real mummy and its inside too!If mummies are too scary for you (I know, they’re dead people), there’s a very pretty exhibition that shows Chinese ceramics. You’ll be captivated by the marvelous workmanship transforming ordinary clay into fine porcelains which record the imagination of people throughout history an across the globe. Just be really careful and no running at this exhibition room as not to shatter any of these priceless pieces of art.
Looking at pretty things - Chinese ceramics exhibitionThough the British Museum is said to be free, there is a periodical special exhibition which changes according to its set dates in the museum’s events calendar. It cost from £8.00 (about RM50). Right now, the special exhibition focuses on Indian summer season celebrating Indian culture up until end of August 2009. You can see vibrant illustrations depicting the palace life and pleasures of the Royal court telling stories of Indian epics.
The pleasurable lifestyle of the Indian Royal court
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