Jilin Manchu Museum

Jilin Manchu Museum

The Jilin Manchu Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Established in 2009, the Jilin Manchu Museum is situated on the former site of the Wang Baichuan Residence, a “Jilin Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Unit” (No. 47 Desheng Road, Chuanying District), covering an area of 2,700 square meters and a building area of 1,800 square meters. It is the best-preserved Qing Dynasty-style residential structure with Manchu-Han architectural fusion features in the province and even the Northeast region. Originally built in the early days of the puppet state of Manchukuo, the building was the private residence of Wang Baichuan, a wealthy tycoon in Jilin who once served as General Manager of the Yongheng Official Bank and Mint. The structure is arranged as a two-courtyard quadrangle, built with brick and stone, exquisitely constructed, and adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, perfectly reflecting the high level of ancient Chinese architectural design and construction. It holds significant scientific and aesthetic value.

The Jilin Manchu Museum primarily functions to showcase the “Jilin Manchu Exhibition,” highlighting regional and ethnic characteristics. It not only presents the folk life and customs of the Manchu people in Jilin and their ancestors but also introduces the historical facts of how Jilin City, as a sacred ancestral worship site for the Qing imperial family and a stronghold for governing the Northeast, established the Dacheng Ula General Office, built shipyards, formed an inland river navy, set up the Eight Banners martial training ground, constructed the city of Jilin, appointed military governors, designated it as a provincial capital, and decreed the building of the Xiaobai Mountain Worship Pavilion. The “Jilin Manchu Exhibition” features exquisite displays, rich content, innovative formats, and fine craftsmanship. It is divided into two sections: static exhibits and live performances. Static exhibits mainly consist of a large number of precious artifacts, photographs, charts, and video materials, while live performances include the Sikeri Hala sacrificial ceremonies of the Manchu people—hailed as the “living fossil” in global Shamanism research—which offer audiences a glimpse into the mysterious and ancient intangible cultural heritage of Manchu Shamanic rituals.

The “Jilin Manchu Exhibition” includes eight exhibition halls: “Origins of the Manchu People,” “Manchu Production and Daily Life Customs,” “The Land of Dragon Rise,” “Emperor Kangxi’s Inspection of the Jilin Navy,” “Historical Images of the Jilin Dacheng Ula,” “Arts and Sports Excellence,” “Jilin Wula Shaman Culture,” and “Sikeri Shaman Ancestral Hall.” It displays over 1,000 cultural relics, including more than 30 classified as precious. The museum houses the largest bronze statue of Nurhaci, a standing bronze statue of Dorgon, and a forged bronze sea eagle in China. Silicone figures vividly depict the four empresses who originated from Jilin City. Additionally, the museum specially commissioned Yuan Wu, a renowned contemporary Chinese painter, to create the large-scale meticulous painting “Emperor Qianlong’s Worship at Xiaobai Mountain,” depicting the Qianlong Emperor paying tribute to Changbai Mountain, the sacred origin of the Manchu people. It also invited a famous professional painter from the Military Museum of China to create large oil paintings themed around the heroic resistance of the Jilin Eight Banners soldiers against Russian invaders, such as “Dorgon’s Battle at Shanhaiguan,” “Baha’s Fight Against the Russian Invaders,” “Sabushu’s Battle of Albazin,” and “Sharhuda Training the Navy at the Shipyard.”

The Jilin Manchu Museum emphasizes research on Jilin Manchu culture. Representative research topics include “Research on Sikeri Shaman Sacrifices of the Manchu People,” “Research on Jilin Wula Shaman Drama,” “An Introduction to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Jilin Manchu People,” and “Research on the Genealogical Continuation Customs of the Chenhan Army of Jilin Wula.”

Visit Guide

Address: No. 47 Desheng Road, Chuanying District, Jilin City, Jilin Province (former site of the Wang Baichuan Residence)

Transportation: Take bus routes 7, 8, 42, or 61, and get off at Beishan Station

Postal Code: 132011

Tel: 0432—62279123

Email: 149231313@qq.com

Opening Hours: Four sessions daily at 9:00, 10:00, 13:30, and 14:30; closed on Mondays

Admission: Free

Further Reading:

· National Third-Class Museum of China