Ruian Museum

Ruian Museum

Established in 1956, Ruian Museum was formerly known as the Ruian County Cultural Relics Management Committee and the Ruian City Cultural Relics Gallery. Its original location was inside the renowned Yuhai Tower, a famous ancient library in Zhejiang Province. It has a history of over 60 years. The new building of Ruian Museum is located at the east end of Ruian Plaza on Luoyang Avenue in Ruian City. Ruian Museum is both a space that preserves the historical and cultural memory of Ruian and one of the places where the public can visit, seek knowledge, and relax.

Opened in 2013, Ruian Museum is a comprehensive local museum that integrates cultural relics collection and exhibition, conservation and research, public education, and leisure. The new museum covers a construction area of 10,390 square meters, with an exhibition area of 3,500 square meters. Its rich collection includes more than 700 national precious cultural relics and over 30,000 ancient books.

Ruian Museum features a permanent exhibition titled "Heavenly Ruian, Peaceful Land," thematic exhibitions such as the "Museum Collection Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition" and the "Folk Cultural Relics Donation and Collection Boutique Exhibition." The "Heavenly Ruian, Peaceful Land" exhibition employs display techniques such as site reconstructions and scene restorations, along with technologies like phantom imaging and multimedia integration. By combining historical documents and the museum’s own resources, it systematically presents the social and historical development of Ruian, highlighting the unique characteristics and charm of the region’s culture. The two thematic exhibitions comprehensively reflect the long-standing heritage of Ruian’s calligraphy and painting arts and the remarkable achievements in the protection of folk cultural heritage, while also showcasing Ruian’s profound cultural foundation and the public’s support and love for the museum cause.

The Father of Southern Opera

Gao Zecheng, a renowned playwright of the Yuan Dynasty from Gexiang, Ruian, is honored as the “Father of Southern Opera” for creating the famous Southern Opera piece "The Story of the Pipa." Based on a folk tale, the opera features elegant lyrics and dominated the theatrical scene after the Ming and Qing dynasties, becoming a standard introductory script for Kunqu performers.

Exhibition Hall: 1st Floor

Commercial Prosperity

Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the agricultural and handicraft production levels in Ruian gradually improved, and the commodity economy became increasingly prosperous. Commercial ports emerged along the river, with shops lining the streets and frequent trade activities. The demand for currency grew steadily, and as credit and contractual relationships developed, the earliest paper money in China—Jiaozi—circulated within the region during the Northern Song Dynasty.

Exhibition Hall: 1st Floor

Dong’ou Porcelain Style

Ruian has a long history of porcelain production. The primitive black-brown porcelain unearthed from the late Shang to the Western Zhou period is unique in the country. During the Two Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the bluish-green and lustrous Ou Kiln porcelain was praised as "Piaoci" (misty porcelain). From the late Tang to the Northern Song Dynasty, Ou Kiln porcelain reached its peak, with kilns stretching for miles. The Piaoci porcelain produced was fine-grained, lustrous, and highly renowned.

Exhibition Hall: 1st Floor

The Charm of Hundred Crafts

Ruian boasts a thriving tradition of craftsmanship, including ancient practices such as Fangzhuang papermaking and Dongyuan woodblock movable-type printing, as well as widely known arts like polished and gilded lacquer painting, tinware making, Ou embroidery, bamboo-silk painting, wood carving, rice sculpture, and round fans. Together, they form the rich and splendid intangible cultural heritage of Ruian.

Exhibition Hall: 1st Floor

Sea Retreat, People Advance

Located in the southeastern coastal area of Zhejiang, in the middle section of China’s Golden Coast, Ruian features undulating mountains, crisscrossing streams, distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, and rich natural resources with picturesque scenery. The wise and hardworking ancestors of Ruian cleared the land and opened up fields. Through five thousand years of cultivation, they transformed the region from "Ou in the sea" to "sea retreat, people advance," thus opening the first chapter of Ruian’s history.

Exhibition Hall: 1st Floor

Legacy of Ancient Architecture

Ruian is home to numerous ancient structures, including stone pagodas and bridges from the Song Dynasty, castles and temples from the Ming Dynasty, as well as residences and ancestral halls from the early Qing Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, the architecture was predominantly in the style of small Western-style buildings or combinations of Chinese and Western elements, characterized by elegant simplicity, exquisite forms, and contributing to the diverse architectural landscape of Ruian. This reflects the city’s economic prosperity and mature cultural values.

Exhibition Hall: 1st Floor

◎ Admission to this museum is free. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:30), closed on Mondays (opening hours on public holidays are subject to notice);

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China