Zhuaqi Town Chezhiwu Folk Museum

Zhuaqi Town Chezhiwu Folk Museum

The Chezhiwu Folk Museum is located in Chenjia Village, Zhuaqi Town, Cixi City.

The Chezhiwu complex originally had three buildings: old, middle, and new, which were constructed separately in the early 20th century by three Chen brothers from Zhuaqi who were involved in the tobacco trade in Shanghai. The only remaining one, the Middle Chezhiwu, spans approximately ten acres and is a two-story wooden building in a “square” (口-shaped) layout. In 2002, Zhuaqi Town allocated one million yuan to renovate the structure, converting it into the Zhuaqi Town Cultural Museum, now known as the Chezhiwu Folk Museum.

The interior exhibits of the Chezhiwu Folk Museum are divided into three sections: displays of residential furniture, local farming tools, and introductions to Zhuaqi’s historical and cultural heritage. The residential furniture section recreates the interiors of study rooms, accounting offices, bedrooms, and living rooms to present the daily life and living environment of merchant families during the late Qing Dynasty and Republican era. The local farming tools section showcases a variety of implements unique to the eastern Zhejiang region, while the Zhuaqi historical and cultural heritage section introduces historic sites such as Zhuaqi Bridge and the Ancient Bedding Bridge. The museum vividly displays the rich folk culture of eastern Zhejiang and reflects the deep-rooted historical legacy of Zhuaqi. It is the first township-level museum in Cixi City.

As one of the cultural activity hubs in Zhuaqi Town, the Chezhiwu building also houses a library, an audiovisual classroom, and other facilities.