Zhejiang Maritime Folk Museum

Zhejiang Maritime Folk Museum

The Zhejiang Maritime Folk Museum is located within the Qing’an Guild Hall on Jiangdong North Road, Jiangdong District, Ningbo. It opened to the public in December 2001. Relying on the Qing’an Guild Hall, a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, the museum features a large illustrated series titled “Mingzhou and Mazu,” a photo exhibition on “Ningbo and the Maritime Silk Road,” a “Millennium Overseas Treasures Photo Exhibition,” as well as displays including a real-scene Mazu worship ritual and “Mazu and Chinese Red.”

The Qing’an Guild Hall, also known as the Tianhou Palace, is situated on the east bank of the Sanjiangkou area. It was funded and built in the third year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1853) by northern ocean-going ship merchants from Yong. Serving both as a temple for worshipping the Heavenly Goddess Mazu and a gathering place for the shipping industry, it is one of China’s eight major Tianhou Palaces and seven major guild halls. The guild hall faces east and has an impressive scale, covering an area of about 5,000 square meters. Along its central axis are arranged structures such as the main gate, ceremonial gate, front stage, rear hall, and front and rear wing rooms. Since 1997, Ningbo has invested over 10 million yuan in a comprehensive renovation of the site. The restored Qing’an Guild Hall integrates the essence of Ningbo’s folk crafts, including brick carving, stone carving, and vermilion-lacquered wood carving, reviving the splendor of traditional Qing Dynasty architecture.

Location

No. 156, Jiangdong North Road, Yinzhou District, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province

Further Reading:

· National Third-Class Museum of China