Suzhou Wu Culture Museum | Located within the Tanzi Lake Scenic Area in Wuzhong District, Suzhou City, adjacent to the World Cultural Heritage Grand Canal and the national heritage Baodai Bridge, the museum covers a total construction area of 18,600 square meters and a museum area of 8,500 square meters, with the main building consisting of three above-ground floors and one underground floor. The museum opened on June 28, 2020, and officially opened to the public on July 1.
The museum appears to be composed of multiple spaces but is actually integrated, resembling the Chinese character for ‘Wu’ when viewed from above, fitting the theme of Wu culture. The exterior of reinforced concrete and the simple and lively rhythm present a simple ‘purity’ to the audience. Placed within the minimalist grey space, the tension born from the architecture itself is all within an inch. On clear mornings and evenings, sunlight pouring through the skylights onto the museum’s floors and walls becomes dancing sprites. When the night is enchanting and the lights are gentle, the two-story high glass curtain wall seems like a glittering diamond embedded in a shallow pool. From the coffee bar’s viewing platform on the second floor, overlooking Baodai Bridge, one can embark on a museum journey accompanied by the aroma of coffee, stroll down the huge grey-white stairs, and take a photo with the museum, which is pleasant and beautiful. The north gate of the museum serves as the audience entrance, and the east gate as the exit. The first floor is mainly used for temporary exhibitions, education, and public services, with two temporary exhibition halls focusing on Wu culture, Jiangnan culture, and other domestic and international fine exhibitions; the second floor houses permanent collections, with over 6,800 sets of artifacts and more than 10,000 pieces, mainly from archaeological excavations within the original Wu County area. The permanent display is divided into ‘Archaeological Exploration of Wu Zhong’ and ‘Elegance and Praise of Wu Zhong’, with the latter including three parallel exhibitions: ‘Wu Style’, ‘Wu Elegance’, and ‘Wu Praise’. ‘Archaeological Exploration of Wu Zhong’ provides an academic interpretation of the origin and prosperity of Wu culture from an archaeological perspective, while ‘Elegance and Praise of Wu Zhong’ showcases Wu culture from the perspectives of Wu’s fine artifacts, local specialties, and the inheritance and protection of Wu culture. In addition, the museum features an education center, an academic lecture hall, a multifunctional hall, a cultural and creative shop, and a coffee shop, among other public activity spaces, with overall configuration leaning towards the educational and public service functions required by modern museums. The exhibition hall uses a rich variety of multimedia display methods and interactive devices, allowing audiences of all ages to find joy in visiting the museum. Positioned as a ‘cultural complex’, Wu Zhong Museum is not only a space for artifact collection and art exhibition but also a comprehensive public learning and communication space that combines exhibition, education, cultural experience, and cultural consumption.Opening hours: Open from Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year from 09:00 to 17:00. Closed all day on Mondays throughout the year. Open from 09:00 to 17:00 on New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.
Must-see tips:
1. The Wuzhong Museum implements real-name reservation. Visitors can make reservations through the WeChat account of the Wuzhong Museum five days in advance (including the current day).
2. Each ID card can only be reserved once per day. A single account can make real-name reservations for three people per day (the name and ID number of each person must be filled in truthfully. If the information does not match, entry will not be allowed). After successful online reservation, please take the reservation channel when visiting and enter the museum by swiping the gate with reservation information and ID card.
