Soochow University Museum

Soochow University Museum

Soochow University Museum is located at the main campus of Soochow University. The university established the museum in March 2007. After three years of preparation, it officially opened on May 10, 2010. The total construction area is 5,637 square meters, divided into front and rear sections.

The museum is housed in the historic Sidney Memorial Gymnasium, a building with deep cultural significance, historical legacy, and high heritage value left by the former Soochow University (formerly known as Dongwu University). The museum complex consists of two parts. The front section is the original Sidney Memorial Gymnasium, which has been restored to preserve its original appearance. The middle section of the interior has been fitted with a mezzanine to create a second-floor exhibition area, bringing the total floor space of this part to 1,529 square meters. The rear section was built on the site of the original Sidney Swimming Pool and expanded to include one underground level and three above-ground levels. Its architectural style harmonizes with that of the gymnasium, with a total construction area of 4,108 square meters — 3,150 square meters above ground and 958 square meters below. The central swimming pool has been preserved. The combined floor area of both the front and rear sections exceeds 5,600 square meters.

The museum’s positioning follows three key concepts: a main theme focusing on physical exhibits that reflect the century-long development of the university from the era of Dongwu University to the present, extending to represent modern higher education in China as a whole; a secondary theme highlighting exhibits with regional characteristics of Wu culture and those closely related to Soochow University’s academic disciplines; and a dynamic element through the establishment of temporary exhibition spaces to host distinctive, specialized exhibitions aimed at broadening the museum’s influence.

The front exhibition hall mainly features rotating displays with frequently updated content, while the rear exhibition hall focuses on permanent exhibits. Currently, it includes galleries such as “Fragrance Across a Century,” “Artistic Masterpieces,” “Treasures of Cultural Relics,” “Dongwu Stone Tablet Corridor,” and “The World of Blue and White.” Additionally, the museum has a temporary exhibition space for hosting unique, specialized shows. The entire museum houses a collection of over a thousand items, including the earliest university journal in China, the magazine Xue Fu (The Scholar’s Ark), an intact Yue state primitive porcelain bell, Ming dynasty stone carvings from the Wu School of Calligraphy, and many other highly valuable pieces. The museum will be open to all faculty, students, and visitors upon its inauguration.