The Metropolitan Museum of Art

I am standing at the visitor center of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in the middle of the first floor, at the crossroad of human cultures. On the right there are Galleries of Egypt, Japan and China, and on the left there are Galleries of Rome, Greece, Africa and Europe. If I go straight, I will see an exhibition from the Middle Ages. More than three million exhibits, which come from more than one hundred countries and have a history of over five thousand years, are collected and exhibited here, like thousands of streams gathering together into the ocean. And It is my great honor to stand at the “estuary” of diverse civilizations and to experience the “tide” of colorful cultures by myself.

Take a deep breath, hold the map, turn left and start my journey.

Oh, look, it’s a sculpture of a goddess! How curvaceous is she. Oh, wait, is there a funny mask? What’s the religious meaning behind it?  And what about the broken marble column over there? What about the well-decorated earthenware? Upon entering the gallery of Ancient Greek and Rome, my eyes become too busy to catch up with my steps. The exhibits that come in different shapes, different colors and different meanings rush over me. I forget the map totally, and just follow my interests to see the appealing antiquities one by one. Suddenly, a huge wooden painted ceiling appears in front of me. It is a Ceremonial House Ceiling, which reflects the purest and oldest religious culture of Oceania. Under the bright sunshine through the window, the ceiling is like a living big fish and every tile is just like the shiny fish scale. The big “fish” is floating and swimming toward me, carrying a history of more than two thousand years. How amazing it is to imagine the ancient religion of the people in such a remote region.

Continuing my journey, I enter the Gallery of Armor. Lots of swords and guns are well kept here. Staring at the delicate gun’s handle dating back to the sixteenth century, my imagination goes further. Its owner must be a high-ranking general, who shot hundreds of enemies with this gun. He said goodbye to his wife and headed to the battle with this gun. He might fight for his country or his belief. With this gun, he felt his power to struggle, his desire to survive, his sadness to be away from home and his fear to face scary enemies. But today, in the twenty-first century everything about him has become a history for visitors like me to recall.

In another room, there are sculptures of a troop of armed knights. Here they come, riding on armed horses and raising their spears. I’m quite surprised at this gallery. It makes me reflect more on wars.

Out of the Gallery of Armor, I enter the American Wing. It is a large hall with a glass ceiling, through which the sunshine comes in. There are many sculptures made of different materials and in different poses. Among them, I find my favorite, the goddess of hunting, Diana. In Greek mythology, she is one of the three virgin goddesses and represents feminism, equality and freedom. She stands out instantly because of her slim build, beautiful face and elegant pose. She is shooting an arrow toward somewhere.

Besides seeing the exhibits from all over the world, meeting thousands of foreign tourists is another interesting experience. Bathing in the warm sunshine, I sit by the fountain pool. The little girl sitting next to me keeps asking her mom questions. On the other side, an old man throws a coin into the fountain to make a wish. Both the children and the elderly are curious about everything here.

A little dizzy from the visual feast, I return to the beginning. The Metropolitan Museum is just like a huge history book and now I am coming to the final page. I leave the museum, sit on the step and see crowds pouring into the entrance.

Here is Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I met the world.