Fusong Chinese Ginseng Museum

Fusong Chinese Ginseng Museum

The Chinese Ginseng Museum is located in Fusong County, Jilin Province, known as the "Hometown of Chinese Ginseng," and is the first museum in China dedicated exclusively to ginseng.

Fusong County is one of China's most famous ginseng-producing regions, with a long and rich ginseng culture. Over a history of ginseng cultivation and harvesting spanning thousands of years, a unique ginseng culture has developed, encompassing ginseng legends, wild harvesting traditions, and more, offering extremely rich content. Among these, the "Changbai Mountain Ginseng Harvesting Customs" have been approved by the State Council as a national intangible cultural heritage. In 1995, Fusong County in Jilin Province was officially designated as the "Hometown of Chinese Ginseng" by the state. Currently, 70% of the county's farmers' income comes from the ginseng industry.

To promote and showcase China’s ginseng industry and culture, Fusong County established the country’s first thematic ginseng museum — the Chinese Ginseng Museum. The museum integrates functions such as collection, preservation, and research, covering a total area of 3,240 square meters, with an exhibition space of 2,021 square meters. It is divided into seven exhibition halls: the Lobby, History Hall, Customs Hall, Products Hall, Film Hall, Tasting Hall, and Temporary Exhibition Hall. Through text, images, and physical exhibits, it comprehensively displays the history of ginseng harvesting, cultivation, processing, and application, as well as the associated cultural customs. Museum exhibits include ginseng processing tools, wild ginseng digging tools, carved wooden statues of the “Ginseng King” and old ginseng harvesters, various wild and cultivated ginseng specimens, and deep-processed ginseng products. The museum systematically and vividly presents the history and culture of ginseng, its development in China, and the folk culture surrounding it, playing a significant role in promoting Chinese ginseng and its culture globally.

Covering an area of 3,240 square meters, with a construction area of 4,116 square meters and an exhibition area of 2,100 square meters, the museum was opened to the public on September 1, 2008. The Ginseng Museum includes a Lobby, History Hall, Customs Hall, Tasting Hall, Products Hall, Film Hall, and Temporary Exhibition Hall. It provides a detailed introduction to the history of ginseng, its uses, wild harvesting, cultivation, production and processing, as well as various forms of ginseng specimens. The museum also uses clay sculptures to vividly depict the entire process of the Changbai Mountain Ginseng Harvesting Customs, which is listed as part of the national intangible cultural heritage, along with various related legends, stories, and artworks.

The Fusong Chinese Ginseng Museum displays over 200 images, more than 100 ginseng-related exhibits and specimens, and nearly 10,000 words of textual content. Highlights include: the museum’s prized exhibit, a wild mountain ginseng that has grown for nearly 200 years; the Changbai Mountain Cultivated Ginseng King weighing 2 jin 7 liang (approximately 1.35 kg); three wooden statues of the “Three Sheng Mansion” carved from yellow pear wood, which have been venerated by mountain ginseng harvesters and major growers for hundreds of years; and the jade carving “Ginseng and Peony.” The Fusong Chinese Ginseng Museum features a fashionable design, advanced display methods, and rich content, serving as an important platform for promoting and showcasing ginseng and its culture.

Visitor Guide

1. Bus Route: Get off at Fusong Bus Station and take Bus No. 2. Get off at the County Forestry Bureau stop on Fusong Avenue, and the museum is right across the street.

2. Opening Hours: Free admission all year round

(1) Summer Opening Hours:

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

(2) Winter Opening Hours:

8:30 AM – 11:30 AM

1:00 PM – 4:00 PM