Songtangzhai Folk Carving Museum

Songtangzhai Folk Carving Museum

The Beijing Songtangzhai Folk Carving Museum is located just 10 meters under the archway at the east entrance of Guozijian Street. It is the first privately-run museum in China themed around folk carvings and is the only museum in the world built from “rescued” yet most valuable artifacts. Established in October 2001, its former location was at No. 14, Liulichang East Street, Xuanwu District. On July 12, 2008, it relocated across from Lama Temple and reopened. Mr. Li Songtang collected carvings from Beijing’s demolished residences—door knockers, roof ridges, tile edges, screen walls, gate piers—and amassed thousands of pieces. The exhibits are mainly divided into three categories: stone carvings, brick carvings, and wood carvings, ranging from the Spring and Autumn Period (including crooked tiles and Qin and Han bricks) to the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods. Many of these varieties are not found in the National Museum.

Songtangzhai Folk Museum

The Songtangzhai Folk Carving Museum is located in Courtyard No. 3, Guozijian Street, and is a private museum established by renowned collector Mr. Li Songtang (Li Wei). The collection includes over a thousand items such as stone carvings, wood carvings, brick carvings, folk architectural components, decorations, indoor furnishings, and furniture, spanning from Qin and Han bricks and tiles to the Ming and Qing dynasties. These include tiles featuring a double-fish pattern from the Spring and Autumn Period; Qin and Han bricks and tiles; as well as gate piers, mounting stones, horse tethering posts, carved stone gateways, wooden carved gateways, screens, Buddhist shrines, dragon ceiling ornaments, and painted brackets from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods. Among the several pairs of gate piers displayed in the museum are treasures from Mr. Li’s collection of over 400 pairs. One pair, originating from the residence of a prime minister during the Yuan Dynasty when Beijing was known as Dadu, features patterns of “Barbarians Taming Beasts” and “Barbarians Drinking with Beasts,” painted by Zhao Mengfu. These can be considered national treasures among gate piers and are especially precious.

The first privately-run museum in China themed around folk carvings. Located in Courtyard No. 3, Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District. The museum building is a well-preserved, exquisitely crafted Ming and Qing courtyard home. In 2002, it opened at No. 14, Liulichang East Street. The building is a two-story house with an area of 254 square meters. In July 2008, it moved to its current location. The collection includes various types of folk carvings personally collected by Director Li Songtang and acquired from all over the country. The exhibits are mainly divided into three categories: stone carvings, brick carvings, and wood carvings, spanning from crooked tiles and Qin and Han bricks of the Spring and Autumn Period to folk brick, stone, and wood architectural components and decorations from the Ming, Qing, and Republican periods—nearly a thousand pieces in total—with many varieties not found in the National Museum. The museum’s treasure is a Qing Dynasty stone-carved beam known as the “Emperor’s Procession.”

Admission

Admission: 10 RMB

Location

Courtyard No. 3, Guozijian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development