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Episode details

Radio 4,26 Feb 2010,14 mins

SeriesThe World in the Age of Confucius (500 - 300 BC)

Chinese Bronze Bell

A History of the World in 100 Objects

Available for over a year

This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the emergence of sophisticated new powers across the world 2500 years ago, from the Parthenon in Greece, to the great empire of Cyrus in Persia and the forgotten people of the Olmec in Mexico. Today he arrives in China at the time of Confucius. He explores the Confucian view of the world with a large bronze bell - with help from the writer Isabel Hilton and the percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Confucius believed in a society that worked in harmony. How do his teachings go down in China today?

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