Heilongjiang River Basin Museum

Heilongjiang River Basin Museum

China’s only Heilongjiang River Basin Museum was completed and opened to visitors on July 26, 2008, on Mingshan Island.

From the origins of the Heilongjiang River to the ancient culture of the Heilongjiang region, from the hard work of generations of fishermen in the past to the true portrayal of happy lives today — all are vividly displayed in the Heilongjiang River Basin Museum.

The museum is composed of six exhibition halls. Its bold design and rich exhibits, especially showcasing the distinct ethnic flavors of China, Russia, and Jewish cultures, blend within the broader context of river basin civilization, leaving every visitor in awe. Halls one and two serve as the "dragon head" and are natural history exhibitions; Hall three is the long "dragon body," displaying the history and culture of the Heilongjiang River Basin; Halls four and five are built together to showcase the folk cultures of northern Chinese ethnic groups as well as Russian and Jewish cultures; and Hall six, the "dragon tail," is designed as a performance hall that dynamically presents folk culture. This "dragon-shaped" museum was designed by the Provincial Planning and Design Institute. When viewed from above, the connected head and tail shape of the Heilongjiang River Basin Museum resembles a flying "dragon," demonstrating the unique connotation of the "dragon" culture in the Heilongjiang River Basin.

At the entrance of the "Dragon Head" hall, there are three massive "petrified wood" pieces, which are the "treasures of the museum." On the left side of the first floor is the introductory hall, narrating the formation of the universe, the Milky Way, the solar system, and eventually the Heilongjiang River Basin. A hemispherical screen in the hall plays the evolution of this historical timeline, allowing us to feel the power of nature and the history and vicissitudes of the Heilongjiang River Basin civilization. In its early days, the Heilongjiang River Basin consisted of separate lakes and water systems. Later, as these lakes dried up, they formed a dendritic water system flowing in opposite directions. Through mountain-building movements, the current Heilongjiang and Songhua River systems were formed. In the introductory hall, volcanic eruptions from Mudanjiang to Wudalianchi reenact the entire topographical changes of the Heilongjiang River Basin. Following the winding path of the Heilongjiang River, visitors seem to walk through a time tunnel, with cities from China, Mongolia, and Russia lining both sides of the tunnel — from the upstream areas of Erguna and Mohe, to Heihe, Blagoveshchensk, Luobei, and Birobidzhan, then to Tongjiang, Fuyuan, Khabarovsk, and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, among 22 cities situated along the riverbanks. These not only hold landmark significance but also demonstrate how the Heilongjiang River has nurtured regional civilizations.

The Natural History Hall is divided into five sections: Botanical Hall, Zoological Hall, Aquarium, Geological and Mineral Hall, and Paleontology Hall. The Paleontology Hall is set apart from the Zoological Hall and displays four major ancient creatures: dinosaurs, mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, and primitive wild oxen. The backdrop of the Botanical Hall features a uniquely scenic birch forest, with real birch trees within reach in the foreground and a large birch forest painting in the background, blending reality and illusion to create an immersive depth. The fallen yellow leaves on the ground paired with white tree trunks fill the scene with poetic charm. In the Zoological Hall, rare birds such as red-crowned cranes and whooper swans freely forage in the wetlands, the “king of the mountains” — the tiger — roams snowy mountain forests, and a giant kaluga sturgeon highlights the unfortunate status of the largest freshwater fish species in the Heilongjiang River Basin today. Protecting nature and the environment has become the most urgent mission for humanity. The Geological and Mineral Hall showcases a variety of geological and mineral specimens from the Heilongjiang River Basin. While marveling at nature’s craftsmanship, we also give thanks for the gifts this land provides for human survival.

The Historical and Cultural Hall displays the six major cultures extensively excavated and organized over the years in Luobei. The Folk Culture Hall presents the customs and traditions of the ethnic minorities in the Heilongjiang River Basin as well as those of the Russian and Jewish peoples. Standing next to the museum and looking north, across the river lies the Russian border town of Amurzhet, just 900 meters away in a straight line. The special geographical location of Mingshan Island gives the Heilongjiang River Basin Museum a transnational river basin civilization and a grand atmosphere.

Hegang is the birthplace of ancient Heilongjiang civilization, a melting pot of Chinese, Russian, and Jewish cultures, the site where martyr Zhao Shangzhi died a heroic death, the cradle of New China’s film industry, a mine with a century-long development history, and one of the regions where 100,000 soldiers and one million educated youths reclaimed and guarded the frontier. Attractions such as the Zhao Shangzhi Memorial Hall, the Great Wilderness Sentiment Memorial Hall, the former site of the Northeast Film Studio, the "Xingshan Fortress," and the ruins of the ancient city of Aolimi all hold strong appeal.

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China