The highly-anticipated Terminal 5 at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport, which opened on Thursday, boasts the world's first on-site museum within an airport, showcasing the historical features of the Silk Road and Xi'an, also known as Chang'an in ancient times.
Located within the Terminal 5, the museum covers an area of 6,400 square meters and features an architectural style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
The main exhibition hall of the basic exhibition is called the Square Pavilion, covering an area of 400 square meters. It will primarily showcase artifacts discovered during the airport's construction, supplemented by archaeological finds from the Hongduyuan area.
"The Square Pavilion is the name of a diplomatic office during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907). Adopting the name not only continues our connection to the ancient history, but also represents our theme of welcoming guests from near and far," said Chen Yao, head of the preparatory team of the museum at the Terminal 5.
In addition, the Hall of Treasures, an 88-square-meter exhibition hall, will display significant cultural relics from Shaanxi.
The Hall of Treasures adopts a rotating exhibition approach by selecting a representative Shaanxi's cultural relic for a special exhibition each period. The inaugural exhibition features the first-class national relic Qin Gong Bo, which has been transported to the Terminal 5 on Wednesday.
Qin Gong Bo is a type of bronze percussion instrument dating back to China's Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC). "We rotate the exhibit roughly every six months. We will select some of the better and more outstanding cultural relics from within Shaanxi Province. Qin Gong Bo is both a ceremonial vessel and a musical instrument," Chen said.
The museum is expected to open to the public on Feb 26, allowing visitors to enter for tours by making online reservations.
New terminal in Xi'an airport houses museum, showcasing local culture
Both Gold and silver prices hit record highs on Monday, driven by geopolitical tensions and market expectations for further U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Spot gold prices breached 4,420 U.S. dollars per ounce during the intraday trading on Monday, while gold futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) briefly surpassed 4,450 U.S. dollars per ounce, both hitting all-time highs.
In addition, the silver futures contract on NYMEX climbed above 69.5 U.S. dollars per ounce on Monday, surging nearly three percent, also reaching a record high.
Bloomberg News reported that escalating geopolitical tensions and market expectations for further Fed rate cuts were the primary drivers behind the soaring gold prices.
Traders anticipate the Fed will cut rates twice in 2026 following last week's release of a series of U.S. economic data.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has consistently advocated more accommodative monetary policies.
Persistent geopolitical tensions in recent weeks have also heightened the safe-haven appeal of gold and silver.
Bloomberg projected on Monday that both gold and silver are poised for their strongest annual gains since 1979.
Due to purchases of central banks and inflows into exchange traded funds (ETFs), gold prices have surged by about two-thirds this year.
Gold-backed ETFs have recorded five consecutive weeks of increased inflows.
World Gold Council data shows that, except for May, the total holdings of these funds have increased month on month this year.
Beyond central banks, investors have also played a significant role in the gold price rally.
Fueled by concerns over the value of sovereign bonds and their denominating currencies, investors have been fleeing these assets.
The Wall Street Journal reported in October that investors who were concerned about the outlook for currencies like the U.S. dollar were aggressively buying alternative assets such as gold.
Goldman Sachs released a research report on December 18, forecasting that gold prices would rise to 4,900 U.S. dollars per ounce by the end of 2026.
Gold, silver prices soar to new record highs as investors hunt for safety
