If your child is at the collecting phase, this may or may not be a wise place to visit, although the vast range of shells, coins, and notes is as likely to bewilder as to fascinate. While the tour guides' chant of "5,000 years of history" rings hollow, "5,000 years of retail" rings true. Confucius and Mao both railed in vain against the mercantile spirit. The exhibition should also impress upon you how simple it is to mint coins; the stalls of the Ancient Coin Market (Gudai Qianbi Jiaoyi Shichang) outside are testament to how easy they are to duplicate -- don't make large purchases. Desheng Men Jianlou (Desheng Men Arrow Tower), which houses the exhibition, is akin to an imposing castle, with many dark crannies to explore.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Beijing, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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