ChinaRecordMuseum

The China Record Museum (CRM) is a national comprehensive record-themed museum. It is located in the[...]

The China Record Museum (CRM) is a national comprehensive record-themed museum. It is located in the Huang Rongyuan Mansion, one of the top ten mansions on Gulangyu Island. It aims to create a place for systematically protecting, displaying, researching, and sharing the historical documents and archives of old records, filling the long-existing gap in the establishment of an “audio memory archive” in China.
With century-old original sounds and items that are out of print, it reproduces the glorious origin of the “Chinese good voice” in a low-key manner. Since its completion, the Huang Rongyuan Mansion has hardly been open to the public. After half a century, the century-old building has reconnected with century-old records, seemingly confirming the indissoluble bond between this national treasure building and music. The Huang Rongyuan Mansion has regained its vitality because of music and extends a sincere invitation to the world to experience the eternal charm of Gulangyu, the Island of Music.

Entering the China Record Museum, one can hear many precious historical sounds: the first recorded sound of humanity, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” hummed by Edison; the only recorded speech of Mr. Sun Yat-sen, “Encouraging the Nation”; the album “Si Wu Hua Dong” jointly recorded by the four famous Peking Opera actresses; the recording “Searching for My Brother Thousands of Miles Away” in the legendary life of Ruan Lingyu, the “Queen of Silent Films”; the “Mandarin Phonograph Records” recorded by the language prodigy Zhao Yuanren to promote Mandarin; from the inspiring “March of the Volunteers” to the first record of New China, “The Sky of the Liberated Areas”.

In addition, there are many treasures in the museum with extremely high academic research and collection value: the recording album “Eternal Melody” of the first performance of the Marquis Yi of Zeng’s chime bells after their excavation; the first edition recording master disc of “March of the Volunteers” by Orient Records in 1935 and different versions of “March of the Volunteers” from different periods, countries, and regions; the first Xiamen Yuqian Qingqu (Nanyin) record recorded on Gulangyu Island in 1908; the first stereo long-playing record “Blood Handprint” that opened a new era of Chinese stereo music; as well as the first tape, the first CD, and the first glass CD of New China and other precious records from different periods.

In addition to record exhibitions, the China Record Museum also houses old record players of various models and brands from all over the world and various precious paper documents. Many of these documentary materials are publicly displayed for the first time, such as the autographed letters, royalty lists, and creative manuscripts of celebrities like Mei Lanfang, Ma Lianliang, Hu Die, Zhao Yuanren, and Li Jinhui.

Opening hours: Open from 09:00 – 17:30, Tuesday – Sunday throughout the year; Closed all day on Monday throughout the year; Open from 09:00 – 17:30 on New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.

Preferential policies:

Disabled people: Those holding the “Disability Certificate” or “Disabled Military Personnel Certificate” can enjoy half-price tickets.

Military personnel: Active-duty and retired military personnel in China can enjoy half-price tickets with valid identity documents.

Firefighters: Fire and rescue personnel (including active-duty, retired, disabled, and students of fire and rescue academies) can enjoy half-price tickets with valid identity documents.

Police officers: Active-duty national public security police officers can enjoy half-price tickets with a valid “People’s Police Certificate”.

Children/elderly: 1.

Children under 4 meters (not included) and seniors aged 70 (inclusive) can enjoy half-price admission with their ID cards.

Children under 1.2 meters (not included) enter for free, accompanied by a guardian who has purchased a ticket. Each ticketed guardian can only bring one child for free.

Additional individuals must purchase tickets separately.

Free admission note: The information provided is for reference only; specific details should be confirmed with the attraction on the day of visit.