Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum

Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum is located on the west side of the South Temple and is the only specialized museum dedicated to the history of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in China. Its site, the Zhanyuan Garden, is the only well-preserved classical Ming Dynasty garden complex remaining in Nanjing, covering an area of 18,000 square meters with a built-up area of 6,000 square meters. On October 1, 1956, it was approved by the Ministry of Culture and established at the site of a former Taiping Heavenly Kingdom royal mansion on Tangzi Street in Nanjing, initially named the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Memorial Hall. In May 1958, it was relocated to Zhanyuan Garden. In January 1961, it was renamed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum. After more than 40 years of development, it has become widely recognized as the center for Taiping Heavenly Kingdom relics, research materials, and exhibitions.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Mural Art Museum and the Luo Ergang History Museum are affiliated branches of the museum. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Mural Art Museum is located on Tangzi Street and is a national key cultural relics protection unit, preserving precious Taiping Heavenly Kingdom murals such as "Fangjiang Wanglou" (River Defense Watchtower) and "Jiangtian Ting" (River and Sky Pavilion), which hold high artistic and academic value. The Luo Ergang History Museum was built in honor of Mr. Luo Ergang, the founder of the museum and a leading scholar in Taiping Heavenly Kingdom history, serving as another academic hub for the study of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom history.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum is a unique combination of museum and classical garden. The eastern side features a grand five-courtyard ancient architectural complex that serves as the exhibition area, while the western side is the renowned Zhanyuan Garden, known as the "Finest Garden in Jinling" and celebrated as one of the "Five Great Gardens of Jiangnan." Historically, it was the "Western Garden" of the residence of Xu Da, the Duke of Zhongshan during the Ming Dynasty, and later became the office of the Jiangning Provincial Administration Commissioner during the Qing Dynasty. During the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period, it served as the Eastern King’s Palace, the office of Lai Han Ying (Deputy Prime Minister of the Summer Official), and the Western King’s Minor Palace. In the early Republic of China, it became the office of the Jiangsu Provincial Governor and the Ministry of the Interior of the Nationalist Government.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Museum is the cultural institution with the largest collection of Taiping Heavenly Kingdom relics and historical materials in China. Since its establishment, it has extensively collected Taiping Heavenly Kingdom artifacts and documents across the nation, acquiring a number of rare treasures, including official robes with dragon roundels worn by high-ranking Taiping generals, as well as original printed editions of Taiping publications such as the "Imperially Commissioned Regulations on Scholarly Ranks," "Imperially Commissioned Military Campaign Records," and "Imperially Commissioned True Account of Heroes." To date, the museum houses over 2,800 Taiping Heavenly Kingdom relics, more than 10,000 photographs of various relics, sites, and ruins, over 2,000 volumes of original Qing Dynasty archives and correspondence, over 6,000 books related to Taiping Heavenly Kingdom history, and has published over 30 books and more than 7 million words of compiled Taiping Heavenly Kingdom materials.

The museum’s permanent exhibition, "The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom History Display," systematically, comprehensively, and objectively recreates the sweeping 19th-century peasant movement 150 years ago. This exhibition was ranked among the top ten national fine exhibitions in the year 2000. Leveraging the Luo Ergang History Museum and the Zhanyuan Garden Exhibition Halls, the museum also regularly hosts diverse and rich temporary exhibitions, receiving positive social feedback. As a base for patriotic education, it has established partnerships with institutions such as Nanjing University, Southeast University, and the Jiangsu Provincial Police Academy, fully leveraging the museum’s role in social education.

Address: Zhanyuan Garden, No. 128 Zhanyuan Road, Qinhuai District, Nanjing

Type: Museum

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Official website: http://www.njtptglsbwg.com/index.asp

Opening hours:

8:30-17:00

Ticket information:

Door price: 10.0 RMB

Adult ticket: 10 RMB; each visitor may bring one child under 1.3 meters tall for free; elementary and middle school students can enjoy a half-price discount with a student ID; seniors aged 60 and above in Nanjing receive a half-price discount with a senior ID; retired cadres, military personnel, and people with disabilities can enter free of charge with relevant certificates.