Xu Xiake Travel Museum

Xu Xiake Travel Museum

The Xu Xiake Travel Museum is located in the southeast corner of China's Xu Xiake Travel Culture Expo Park, with a total construction area of approximately 6,000 square meters and a total investment of about 3,000,000 yuan. The museum centers around the concepts of "China's No. 1 Traveler" and "China's No. 1 Travel Museum," and includes functions such as exhibitions on Xu Xiake’s travel culture, the history of tourism development in China, academic exchanges on Xu Xiake culture, multimedia modern demonstration spaces, and leisure sightseeing areas. It showcases the spirit of Xu Xiake — “Venturing across the world, exploring the infinite.” The entire museum is organized both by a “bottom-up” spatial sequence and a “from ancient to modern” chronological sequence, presenting three main themes: the Ancient Hall, the Modern Hall, and the Future Hall. It consists of sections such as the Xu Xiake Hall, the Travelogue Hall, the Geography Hall, the Xu Studies Hall, and the Tourism Hall. Additionally, it includes an exhibition area for Jiangyin’s major attractions, a display room for the China Xu Xiake Travel Expo Park, a dome theater, a cultural and academic exchange center, and leisure sightseeing zones, all of which fully embody the Xu Xiake spirit of “bold exploration and limitless discovery.”

The Ancient Hall is dedicated to showcasing historical, cultural, and artistic treasures related to the spirit of Xu Xiake, his deeds, and his life — including materials, documents, and humanities works. It mainly exhibits ancient poems, essays, and travelogues about travel (such as A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms, Commentary on the Water Classic, Great Tang Records of the Western Regions, and The Travel Diaries of Xu Xiake). To date, the museum has collected over 50 different editions of The Travel Diaries of Xu Xiake, five different versions of books related to Xu Xiake, one version of stamps, five types of postcards, one type of commemorative coin, two types of large copper coins, one poster, and two types of first-day covers.

The Modern Hall displays scientific materials related to the landscapes, natural scenery, and geological data of the motherland that are connected to Xu Xiake’s travelogues, allowing visitors to follow in Xu Xiake’s footsteps and experience the breathtaking beauty of China.

The Future Hall showcases future technological tourism achievements and travel methods that “inherit the spirit of Xu Xiake and keep pace with the times,” while also reflecting the modern tourism spirit of sustainable development. Through advanced technologies, it presents future modes of travel such as space travel, underwater exploration, and global tours. By integrating elements of the gaming industry, science fiction films, and science education, and through direct visitor interaction, participation, and demonstrations, the hall offers an immersive experience of novel, thrilling, and imaginative future tourism. This enhances the educational value, entertainment, and experiential aspects of the tourism project.