Jinyuan History Museum

Jinyuan History Museum

The Jinyuan History Museum is located in Acheng District and was formerly known as the Acheng County Museum. The architectural style of the museum blends elements from the Jin Dynasty and modern design, featuring a unique shape and novel appearance. In front of the entrance stands a rack for weapons, while the main building imitates the central military tent of the Jin Dynasty, with star and moon flags fluttering in the wind, creating an imposing sight. This museum is currently the only museum in China dedicated to the centralized collection and exhibition of cultural relics from the Jin Dynasty. The museum houses over 2,000 cultural relics from the Jin Dynasty, including 19 items under national first-class protection. Covering an area of 50,000 square meters, the Jinyuan History Museum consists of nine exhibition halls—five above ground and four underground. The five above-ground exhibition halls include the introductory hall, the Development of Shangjing Hall, the Economic and Cultural Hall, the Jinyuan Art and Culture Hall, and the Special Exhibition Hall for Jin Dynasty Bronze Mirrors. The entire display design reflects a commitment to excellence, combining research findings and discoveries related to Jinyuan culture to recreate the brilliance of that era. The exhibits are characterized by four distinctive features:

First, the exhibition theme is perfectly integrated with the museum architecture, the Imperial City ruins, and the Tomb of Emperor Taizu of Jin, creating a historical atmosphere that makes visitors feel as if they have traveled back in time.

The site selection, layout, and design of the Shangjing History Museum are all uniquely crafted. The architectural language conveys the history of the Jin Dynasty, and the building style reflects the Jinyuan culture. To the east of the museum lies the western city wall of the ancient capital of Shangjing, while 200 meters southwest of the museum is the tomb of Emperor Taizu of the Jin Dynasty, Wanyan Aguda. These three elements form a tripartite layout, cleverly interconnected, creating a cohesive cultural heritage site that combines both movable and immovable artifacts.

Second, the exhibition content is organically combined with artistic forms, recreating the glory of Jin Dynasty history and culture.

The museum includes nine exhibition halls. The introductory hall features large stone round sculptures of the four emperors of the Jin Dynasty who declared themselves emperors in Shangjing: Emperor Taizu Wanyan Aguda, Emperor Taizong Wuqimai, Emperor Xizong Wanyan, and Emperor Hailing Wang Wanyan Liang. On both sides are sixteen Jin Dynasty flags representing the sun and moon, highlighting the grandeur and brilliance of Jin Dynasty history. Opposite stands a white introductory stele. The inscription on the stele provides a concise overview of the history and territory of the Jin Dynasty, as well as the historical significance and role of Shangjing. The design is simple, elegant, solemn, and dignified. On both sides of the stele are two large bronze sitting dragons, enlarged replicas based on small bronze sitting dragons unearthed in Shangjing. These are iconic symbols of Jinyuan culture and artifacts, reflecting local and ethnic characteristics, while also symbolizing that all people of the unified Chinese nation are descendants of the dragon.

Third, by showcasing the historical changes of Shangjing, the museum highlights the Jin Dynasty’s contributions to the formation of a unified multi-ethnic nation. Shangjing was the birthplace of the Jurchen people, the first capital of the Jin Dynasty, and a place where Jurchen, Khitan, Central Plains cultures converged, built and created together by people of various ethnicities.

The exhibition halls prominently display the territory of the Jin Dynasty and the jurisdiction of Shangjing. From the sloping map, it is evident that the Jin Dynasty’s borders were vast, extending north to Lake Baikal, the Outer Xing’an Mountains, and the Tartar Strait, including Sakhalin Island within its territory. This laid the foundation for the territory of the Qing Dynasty and contributed to the shaping of China’s historical boundaries.

Fourth, the museum boasts a rich collection of Jin Dynasty artifacts, particularly an impressive array of bronze mirrors, offering visitors a rare cultural and artistic experience. The museum displays over 2,000 artifacts, including more than 1,000 precious cultural relics. The fourth exhibition hall is a special exhibit dedicated to Jin Dynasty bronze mirrors, showcasing a total of 226 mirrors. The Shangjing area yielded an exceptionally high number of mirrors, and such richness and concentration are rarely seen elsewhere in China.

Bronze mirrors, as everyday tools closely tied to people’s lives and as works of art, have existed for nearly 4,000 years in the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization. Their shapes and decorative patterns not only reflect the social life, fashion, and trends of different historical periods but also vividly illustrate the craftsmanship and artistic characteristics of each era. The bronze mirrors displayed at the Shangjing History Museum are organized and classified into ten thematic units for exhibition: figural story mirrors, mythical beast mirrors, double-fish mirrors, dragon-pattern mirrors, phoenix mirrors, phoenix-and-grape mirrors, floral mirrors, inscribed mirrors, plain mirrors, and special-shaped mirrors.

To enhance visitor engagement, the exhibition hall has set up a “Bronze Mirror Fun Station,” where polished replicas of mirror surfaces allow visitors to see their reflections for fun. There are also translucent mirrors that project images, such as Buddha figures, when light shines through them—an effect that never fails to captivate.

The Jin Dynasty bronze mirrors are a historical testament, and the artistry of these mirrors embodies the wisdom and talent of ancient people, reflecting the great glory of Chinese culture. The Jinyuan History Museum houses a rich collection of high-quality artifacts. Among them, a double-carp bronze mirror with a diameter of 43 centimeters and weighing 12.4 kilograms is exceptionally exquisite and rare. The Jinyuan History Museum ranked fourth in the national “Top Ten Fine Exhibitions” in 1998, becoming an important destination for Jinyuan cultural tourism.