Wujiang Museum

Wujiang Museum

Located on Jiangling South Road in the urban area of Wujiang, Wujiang Museum was constructed in October 1998, completed in June 2000, and opened to the public on July 1 of the same year. It is a grand modern architectural structure with distinct ethnic characteristics, covering a land area of 1,216 square meters and a building area of 3,653 square meters. It is one of the iconic cultural buildings of Wujiang. The museum houses a collection of over 10,000 cultural relics, including ceramics, bronzes, jade artifacts, calligraphy and paintings, and coins, showcasing the thousands of years of history and cultural heritage of Wujiang.

Wujiang is located at the southernmost part of Jiangsu Province, bordering Taihu Lake to the west. At the crossroads of Wu and Yue cultures, it has long been known as the "head of Wu and tail of Yue," encompassing elements of both Wu and Yue cultures — a rare regional asset. With a long history and over 6,000 years of civilization to its name, Wujiang has much to be proud of. The completion of Wujiang Museum serves as an important window into the city’s heritage and will play a significant role in Wujiang’s modernization efforts.

Wujiang Museum currently has six exhibition halls open to the public: the Historical Culture Exhibition Hall, the Ancient Distinguished Figures Exhibition Hall, the Modern and Contemporary Distinguished Figures Exhibition Hall, the Calligraphy and Painting Collection Exhibition Hall, the Wu Gensheng Coin Exhibition Hall, and the Friendship Hall (Exhibition Hall for Gifts from Friendly Exchanges), as well as the under-construction Audiovisual Science Exhibition Hall and several temporary exhibitions.

The "Historical Culture Exhibition" in the Historical Culture Exhibition Hall takes pre-Qin culture as its main thread, supplemented by various cultural relics from the Six Dynasties to the Ming and Qing periods. It reflects Wujiang’s more than 6,000 years of long history and cultural heritage, as well as the diligence and wisdom of its ancestors. Over 20 burial sites and unearthed pottery, animal and plant remains discovered at the Majiabang cultural site in Guangfu Village, Taoyuan, prove that as early as 6,000–7,000 years ago, Wujiang’s ancestors were in the matrilineal society stage but had already settled down. The Liangzhu cultural village site of Longnan in Meiyang, known as the “First Village of the South of the Yangtze,” dates back about 5,300 years. The site shows people living along the river, facing each other across the water — a scene full of the charm of a water town. Carbonized rice and the remains of domesticated pigs found there fully illustrate the long history of rice cultivation and livestock breeding in Wujiang, presenting a vivid picture of the ancestors’ agricultural-based life supplemented by fishing and hunting. This strongly proves that the Taihu Lake basin is one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization. The black pottery silkworm-patterned pot from the Yuanjiadai site in Meiyang, as well as spindle whorls, bone awls, and bone needles commonly unearthed in Wujiang, indicate that the history of mulberry planting, silkworm breeding, and weaving in the region dates back more than 4,000 years. In addition, the finely polished stone tools, exquisitely transparent jade artifacts, solemn and simple bronzes, and variously shaped ceramics and crafts displayed in the hall all tell the rich cultural heritage and the development process of productive forces in Wujiang.

Wujiang Museum boasts an extremely rich collection of calligraphy and paintings, numbering over 10,000 pieces. The "Calligraphy and Painting Collection Exhibition" selects nearly 100 fine masterpieces from them. These include works by great masters such as Shen Zhou, Tang Yin, and Wen Zhengming from the "Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty"; Wang Yuanqi, one of the "Four Wangs" of the early Qing Dynasty; as well as Wu Changshuo and Ren Xun from the late Qing Dynasty — all extraordinary and breathtaking. There are also works by famous calligraphers and painters from Wujiang throughout history, among whom Wang Li, a representative figure of the Haishang School of Painting in the late Qing Dynasty, and Lu Hui, a representative of the Wu School of Painting, stand out as outstanding examples, demonstrating the long-standing tradition and cultural brilliance of Wujiang's calligraphy and painting. Moreover, the collection also features calligraphy works by members of the revolutionary literary group Nanshe and figures from the modern political and literary circles, such as Chen Qimei, Chen Qubing, Li Genyuan, Yu Youren, Hu Shi, and Liang Qichao, which form a major feature of this exhibition hall. Visitors immersed in this artistic sanctuary can appreciate the excellent historical and cultural environment of Wujiang, and experience the unique charm and appeal of calligraphy and painting art — truly a delightful experience.

The "Wu Gensheng Coin Exhibition" displays over 1,000 coins in chronological order of Chinese coinage history. Mr. Wu Gensheng is a renowned coin collector in China. His collection spans from the knife, spade, ring, and shell coins of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods to various types of modern banknotes — totaling more than 10,000 varieties, including over 150 rare pieces. He has collected over 200 varieties of iron wuzhu coins from different dynasties, including over 40 top-quality pieces, earning him the title "King of Iron Wuzhu in the South of the Yangtze." Mr. Wu Gensheng has decided to donate his entire coin collection to Wujiang Museum. The coin exhibition hall will leave a profound impression on visitors regarding the development history of Chinese currency and the evolution of China’s economic and cultural development through the ages.

Wujiang has long been known for its beautiful scenery and rich cultural talent. The "Exhibition of Ancient Distinguished Figures of Wujiang" and the "Exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Distinguished Figures of Wujiang" together showcase the life stories of 82 outstanding figures from Wujiang’s past and present. In politics, from the father-and-son ministers Wu Hong and Wu Shan of the Ming Dynasty, known for their integrity and justice, to the anti-eunuch hero Zhou Zongjian, the anti-Qing national hero Wu [?], the patriotic general Zhang Yao, to the famous modern diplomat Shi Zhaoji, the pioneer of China’s early women’s movement Zhang Yingchun, the distinguished democratic figure Fei Gong, and the contemporary renowned sociologist Fei Xiaotong; in science, from the Ming Dynasty garden designer Ji Cheng and the early Qing Dynasty astronomer Wang Xichan, to the founder of China’s sericulture education Zheng Pixiang, and today’s academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences such as Huang Wenxi, Feng Xinde, Liu Jiankang, Shen Shanjiong, Chen Kaijia, Yang Jiachi, and Wang Jiduo; in art and literature, from the Western Jin Dynasty literatus Zhang Han, the famous Ming Dynasty playwright and leader of the “Wu School” Shen [?], the Ming literatus and master of the “Wu Mengtang” Ye Shaoyuan and his family, the early Qing Dynasty frontier poet Wu Zhaoqian, to the modern Sinology master Jin Songcen, the revolutionary figures of the 1911 Revolution and founders of Nanshe Chen Qubing and Liu Yazi — truly a gathering of celebrities and a constellation of stars. These prideful sons of Luyang painted a magnificent picture of revitalizing China with their blood, sweat, and even lives, and also wrote splendid chapters for Wujiang’s civilization. Today, as we learn about their moving deeds, they will surely inspire us to strive courageously, forge ahead, and embrace an even more brilliant new century.

The "Friendship Hall" on the fourth floor of Wujiang Museum displays gifts presented by foreign sister cities and friends. These gifts not only reflect the achievements of Wujiang’s opening up, but also showcase the cultural characteristics of these countries and peoples. The exchanges with these cities clearly show that Wujiang is rapidly stepping onto the world stage and gradually gaining global attention.

Wujiang Museum is a newly established modern comprehensive exhibition museum. Since its opening, it has received over 100,000 visitors from home and abroad, earning praise from all sectors of society. With the theme of "Know Wujiang, Love Wujiang," Wujiang Museum aims to serve as a window to introduce and showcase Wujiang, as well as a base for patriotic education. It is committed to making every contribution to the city’s economic development and greater progress. Feedback and suggestions from all sectors are most welcome after your visit.

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China