The Shanghai Wood Culture Museum covers an area of more than 13,000 square meters, consisting of six major sections including the Wood Civilization Exhibition Hall, Ancient Wood Culture Hall, National Arts and Crafts Master Hall, Dream of the Red Chamber Culture and Art Hall, Crafts Classroom, and the Temporary Exhibition Center. The museum also features a conference center, experience area, gift sales area, and coffee and catering 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 national endangered wood education base by the State Forestry Administration, and an off-campus practice base for labor education in Baoshan District’s ‘Action Knowledge Action’ program. 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 crafts, guiding a value system that respects and loves wood, uses wood to its full potential, and promotes sustainable development.
The Wood Civilization Hall begins with the theme of ‘venerating wood as we do the elders,’ teaching us to respect trees and learn to be grateful for their selfless dedication. The middle section embodies the ‘order,’ ‘etiquette,’ and ‘tolerance’ found in excellent traditional philosophies through the display of home furnishings, mortise and tenon joints, and architectural thoughts. We caution against the self-destructive acts of overlogging and advocate for the rational use of resources to form a value system of sustainable development, which is the meaning of our reverence for wood. The final section showcases redwood science popularization, allowing everyone to recognize, understand, and identify famous woods, integrating 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, textures, colors, and hidden stories of ancient woods from various perspectives, angles, and distances. We can also experience the different styles and artistic conceptions it conveys as a whole, gaining a fresh aesthetic experience and understanding the unique artistic ideas and imaginative thoughts that ancient woods express. The National Arts and Crafts Master Hall gathers classic works from forty-eight national arts and crafts masters. Their works, with distinct styles, excel in depicting Buddhas, humans, objects, landscapes, flowers, birds, insects, and grasses, dazzling and captivating. Zhejiang Dongyang wood carving, Yueqing boxwood carving, Chaozhou gold lacquer wood carving, Fujian longan wood carving, and other wood carving schools are represented in the hall, showcasing the exquisite craftsmanship of representative masters of each school. Their works are an exhaustive 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 showcases cultural and artistic furniture, with carving and production taking 15 years, led by four Asia-Pacific region master craftsmen: Lu Guangzheng, Feng Wentu, Gao Gongbo, and Lin Xueshan. They are responsible for the overall creativity and key large component creation, inheriting the essence of Chinese national quintessence, and integrating famous woods, masters, and masterpieces.Utilizing 25 years of globally collected Indian old sandalwood, the famous Chinese national painter Dai Dunbang’s Dream of the Red Chamber character scrolls have been transformed into a full-carved art furniture treasure by Mr. Lu Guangzheng, a master of Asia-Pacific and arts and crafts, taking 5 years to complete. This is the only set in the world! It can be called a shocking and unparalleled masterpiece at the pinnacle! To enhance the educational function of the museum and increase the interactivity and experience, we have developed the ‘Evolution of Wood’ series of courses, divided into various project sections such as wood and furniture, wood and music, wood and sports, combining theory with hands-on activities to discard the monotonous and simple classes, enhancing the experience of the manual part, and setting up a specialized craftsmanship classroom for course activities and team building. The Exhibition Center Regularly holds special exhibitions where various arts and ideas collide through works, having already held more than 100 exhibitions and activities such as the Shanghai Citizens’ Handicraft Competition, Ming and Qing Dynasty Characteristic Furniture Exhibition, and Fine Aloeswood Exhibition. Opening Hours: 01/01-02/09 Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00 open; 01/01-02/09 Monday closed; 02/10-02/17 closed; 02/18-12/31 Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-17:00 open; 02/18-12/31 Monday closed; New Year’s Day closed
