Exploring the New Zhejiang Museum: A Cultural Journey

If given two days to delve into learning, where would you go? I chose the Zhejiang Museum in Hangzhou, the Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, and the Zhejiang Library. With 1-2 days, you can gain a wealth of knowledge. Understanding history and stepping into it, though we may be but dust in the annals of time, we can still catch a glimpse of its essence.

The Zhejiang Museum’s Wan Gong Sedan Chair, which gained popularity after appearing on the show ‘National Treasure,’ is now more satisfying to view with the opening of the Zhijiang New Hall, offering a larger exhibition area. The new Zhijiang Hall of the Zhejiang Museum features 15 display exhibitions, constructing a 159-exhibition system from three levels: ideological height, academic depth, and humanistic warmth. This includes the Zhejiang General History Exhibition: ‘Zhejiang: Ten Thousand Years—Zhejiang Historical and Cultural Display,’ five Zhejiang thematic cultural exhibitions: ‘Eastward to the Sea—Zhejiang Marine Culture Display,’ ‘The Secret Colors of the South—Zhejiang Celadon Culture Display,’ ‘Song Charm,’ ‘Protecting the Territory and People—Zhejiang Celebrity Culture Series Exhibition,’ ‘A Thousand Autumns in One Line—Zhejiang Calligraphy and Painting Record,’ and nine functional expansion experience exhibitions: ‘The Sound of Antiquity—Guqin and the Chinese Sonic World,’ ‘Between Mountains and Rivers—Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Digital Humanistic Exhibition,’ ‘The Bride in Red—Traditional Marriage Customs and Dowries of the Ningshao Plain,’ ‘A Beautiful Walk—Digital Experience Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Female Images,’ ‘The Grand View—Chinese Dynasties Painting Series Display,’ ‘The Serendipity of Lacquer—Donated Ancient Lacquerware Exhibition by Cao Qiyuan and His Wife,’ ‘Top 100 Treasures of Zhejiang Museum Exhibition,’ ‘International Exchange Exhibition,’ ‘Zhejiang Humanistic Exploration Hall.’The ten famous treasures of the museum are all listed, distributed in different exhibition halls and areas (with the historical period in parentheses).
On the first floor, General History Exhibition Hall A (Zhejiang Ten Thousand Years) features the Liangzhu Jade Cong King (Liangzhu Culture), Spring and Autumn Acrobatic Bronze House (Ancient Yue Spring and Autumn), Double Bird Facing the Sun Ivory Dish (Hemudu Culture), and the Warring States Yue King’s Sword (Ancient Yue Spring and Autumn).
On the second floor, General History Exhibition Hall B (Zhejiang Ten Thousand Years) has the Five Dynasties Wu Yue Gilded Pure Silver Ashoka Pagoda (Wu Yue Overview), and the Northern Song Dynasty Clay Colored Guanyin Statue (Elegant Song Dynasties).
On the third floor, Celadon Culture Hall (The Secret Colors of the South) has the Yuan Longquan Kiln Celadon Boat-shaped Ink Dropper. In the Folk Culture Hall (The Bride in Red), there is the Late Qing and Early Republic of China Ningbo ‘Ten Thousand Work Sedan Chair’, and this exhibition hall also introduces the culture of marriage.
On the fourth floor, Guqin Art Hall (The Sound of Antiquity) has the Tang Dynasty ‘Colorful Phoenix Singing on Qi’ Seven-stringed Zither. The current guqin exhibition displays a large number of museum collections, all individually displayed, allowing one to see the inscriptions on the back. In the Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Hall (Between Mountains and Rivers), there is the Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Picture—Shengshan Diagram.If you’re keen on art and history, you won’t want to miss the original ‘Fuchun Mountain Dwelling Picture’ (Shengshan Diagram) by Huang Gongwang, which is on display for a limited time from August 29th to September 29th. Make sure to visit quickly to catch this rare opportunity. Alongside this, the Hubei Province Museum has brought some remarkable treasures to showcase.

The Song Charm exhibition hall is a personal favorite, boasting an exquisite layout with a four-sided pavilion that honors several prominent figures from the Song Dynasty, including Su Shi, Yue Fei, Li Qingzhao, and Lin He Jing. The backdrop of the display is adorned with Emperor Huizong of Song’s ‘ Auspicious Cranes Picture,’ adding to the historical ambiance.

Additionally, the museum features the first permanent thematic display of the ‘Chinese Dynasties Painting Series’ in the country, which incorporates various digital displays that require reservations for viewing.

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The Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum stands as the first large-scale regional comprehensive museum dedicated to intangible cultural heritage in the nation. It introduces an innovative exhibition concept that divides the heritage into five major sections:

1. ‘Oral Tradition · Imprint’ – focusing on folk literature.
2. ‘Craftsmanship · Life’ – showcasing traditional skills and fine arts.
3. ‘Body and Mind · Wisdom’ – covering traditional medicine, sports, and acrobatics.
4. ‘Performance · Charm’ – highlighting traditional drama, quyi, traditional music, and traditional dance.
5. ‘Ceremony and Spirit’ – exploring folk customs.

This museum is not just for the adults; it’s an excellent place to bring children, offering numerous interactive experiences. Some of the must-visit exhibits include:

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– ‘Fishing Season in the East China Sea’ – Green Eyebrow Sea Ship
– ‘Colorful’ – traditional stage
– ‘Chinese Time’ – general preface hall
– ‘Ingenious Bamboo Charm’ – craftsmanship and life section
– ‘Searching for Mountains and Dwelling’ – Suyongtang wooden art space
– ‘First Site of Craftsmanship’ – traditional craft hall

These are just a few of the many engaging exhibits that await visitors at the Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum.The new hall of Zhejiang Library is also a pleasant surprise. The opening of ancient book collections is really wonderful for history enthusiasts. Reading books and checking in are both possible. In the theater lobby on the basement floor, the entire wall is covered with gold foil. Light and Shadow Reading Planet – an immersive reading space for children. Located in the children’s reading area of the Zhijiang Hall area. The 12-meter-long ‘A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains’ is dynamically presented to readers on a huge wall 20 meters wide and 2 meters high. Book Cube – Books filling four walls. The Book Cube is two mezzanine study rooms with glass curtain walls on the exterior. Nearly 13 meters high, they are arranged on both sides centered on the T-shaped staircase that connects the third and fourth floors.

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