The Shanghai Wood Culture Museum covers an area of over 13,000 square meters and is composed of six major sections: the Wood Civilization Exhibition Hall, the Ancient Wood Culture Hall, the National Arts and Crafts Masters Hall, the Dream of the Red Chamber Culture and Art Hall, the Craftsmanship Classroom, and the Temporary Exhibition Center. The museum includes a conference center, experience areas, gift sales areas, and coffee and dining facilities as part of its public supporting areas.
It is a National AAA-level tourist attraction, a model scientific popularization venue in Shanghai, a consumer education base for redwood by the Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission, a propaganda base for endangered timber by the State Forestry Administration, and an off-campus practice base for labor education in Baoshan District. The museum integrates famous wood science popularization, wood carving art, furniture architecture, and cultural dissemination, organically combining the original ecological culture of famous woods with wood carving craftsmanship, guiding a value system that respects and loves wood, uses wood to its fullest potential, and promotes sustainable development.The Wood Civilization Exhibition Hall begins with the theme of ‘Holding Virtue in Abundance,’ where we respect trees as we would respect elders, learning to be grateful for the selfless dedication of wood with a solemn and sacred heart. The middle section, ‘Wood as a Vehicle for Morality,’ reflects the ‘order,’ ‘etiquette,’ and ‘tolerance’ in excellent traditional philosophy through home furnishings, mortise and tenon joints, and architectural ideas. We caution against the self-destructive acts of indiscriminate logging and advocate for the rational use of resources to form a value system of sustainable use, which is also the significance of our respect for wood. The final section displays redwood science popularization, allowing everyone to recognize, understand, and identify famous woods, combining education with entertainment, promoting social development through culture, and bringing culture into thousands of households.
In the Ancient Wood Culture Hall, we can appreciate the form, lines, texture, color, and the stories hidden behind the ancient woods from different perspectives, angles, and distances. We can also feel the different styles and artistic conceptions it conveys as a whole, gaining a fresh aesthetic experience and understanding the unique artistic ideas and unrestrained ideological content that ancient woods express.
The National Arts and Crafts Masters Hall gathers the classic works of forty-eight national arts and crafts masters. Their works, with distinct styles, are adept at depicting Buddhas, people, objects, landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, and grasses, dazzling and captivating. Zhejiang Dongyang wood carving, Yueqing Huangyang wood carving, Chaozhou gold lacquer wood carving, Fujian Longan wood carving, and other different wood carving schools are on display in the hall, showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of representative masters from each school. Their works are a vivid interpretation of nature, an elevation of cultivation, and a perfect fusion of quick wit and spirituality.
The Pinnacle Work – Dream of the Red Chamber Culture and Art Hall: The cultural and artistic furniture displayed in the Dream of the Red Chamber Culture and Art Hall took 15 years to carve and create, led by four Asia-Pacific region master craftsmen, Lu Guangzheng, Feng Wentu, Gao Gongbo, and Lin Xueshan, who were responsible for the overall creativity and key large-scale component creation. It carries the essence of the Chinese national quintessence, integrating famous woods, masters, and masterpieces into one.
The Shanghai Wood Culture Museum showcases a unique collection of carved art furniture masterpieces, crafted from Indian old mountain sandalwood collected globally over 25 years. Renowned Chinese national painter Dai Dunbang’s Dream of the Red Chamber character scroll was transformed into these exquisite pieces by Mr. Lu Guangzheng, a master of Asia-Pacific and arts and crafts, taking five years to complete. This one-of-a-kind set is a pinnacle of craftsmanship, astonishing and unparalleled. To enhance the educational role of the museum and to increase interactivity and experiential learning, we have developed a series of courses titled ‘The Evolution of Wood’. These courses cover various topics such as wood and furniture, wood and music, wood and sports, integrating theory with hands-on activities to avoid dull lectures and to enrich the manual experience. A dedicated workshop space is set aside for these courses and team-building activities. The museum’s temporary exhibition center regularly hosts的特色 exhibitions where various arts and ideas collide through their works. To date, over 100 exhibitions have been held, including the Shanghai Citizen Handicraft Competition, Ming and Qing Dynasty Furniture Exhibition, and Fine Agarwood Exhibition. The museum is open from January 1st to February 9th, Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 17:00; closed on Mondays. From February 10th to February 17th, the museum is closed. From February 18th to December 31st, it is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 17:00; closed on Mondays. On New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, and National Day, the museum is open from 09:00 to 17:00.
