Quanzhou Museum

Quanzhou Museum

Quanzhou Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Situated on the north side of West Lake Park at the foot of Qingyuan Mountain, Quanzhou Museum is a comprehensive museum with a distinctive Minnan architectural style. It is also home to the "World Multiculturalism Exhibition Center" established by UNESCO. Covering more than 80 acres and boasting a construction area of over 16,000 square meters, the museum functions as both a patriotic education base and a lifelong learning center for the public.

Established in January 1985, Quanzhou Museum was initially housed in the Dacheng Hall of the Quanzhou Confucian Temple located in the city center. The Quanzhou Confucian Temple was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council in 2001.

In 2001, the municipal government decided to build a new museum. Construction began in September 2002, and the new museum opened to the public on New Year's Day 2005.

Covering an area of 82 acres with a building area of more than 16,000 square meters, the complex includes both Quanzhou Museum and the UNESCO-established Multiculturalism Exhibition Center, making it the largest comprehensive museum in Quanzhou.

Quanzhou History Exhibition

The Quanzhou History Exhibition is located on the second floor of the museum, spanning an area of 1,500 square meters. It is divided into four sections: “Early Development,” “The Rise of Citong,” “The World’s Largest Port,” and “The Heroic Spirit of Southern Quanzhou.” Tracing the city’s history, it begins with the ancient Shenzhen Forest ruins from prehistoric times, showcasing traces of Minyue ancestors who lived and thrived here. It covers the flourishing Maritime Silk Road, the golden age of the world’s largest port, and the vibrant maritime history of Quanzhou during the Ming and Qing dynasties. As you enter the second-floor exhibition hall, the introduction titled “By the Water’s Edge” vividly portrays Quanzhou as a coastal city nestled between mountains and sea. The first exhibition hall features a sand table illustrating the geomorphological changes of the Taiwan Strait, as well as evidence of ancient humans migrating from the mainland to the island during the Paleolithic Age. Fossils of Quaternary mammals unearthed from the waters near Shishi are also displayed, including those of the ancient elephant and the four-horned deer. Other valuable artifacts from various periods include Han Dynasty pottery, tomb bricks with inscriptions from the Jin Dynasties, and coin molds from the Five Dynasties.

Folk Collections Exhibition and Folk Calligraphy & Painting Exhibition

The Folk Collections Exhibition and Folk Calligraphy & Painting Exhibition, located on the third floor, provides collectors with a space to showcase their personal collections. Collectors can apply to the museum to display their items, determining the duration and types of exhibits based on their own preferences. This initiative represents an innovative approach to collection display at Quanzhou Museum, with over 200 pieces currently on exhibit. The temporary exhibition hall on the fourth floor hosts a variety of exhibits—including calligraphy, photography, and ceramics—on an irregular basis, accommodating exhibitions in diverse formats.

In addition to unearthed cultural relics, the exhibition halls also feature specially reconstructed scenes. For example, the tomb from the Liang Dynasty in Fengze District, dated to the fourth year of the Chengsheng era (555 AD), displays half of the tomb chamber and its funerary objects intact, allowing visitors to see the original structure and gain a more intuitive understanding of burial customs at that time. Many lights are motion-activated, gradually illuminating display cases as visitors approach. In the “Heroic Spirit of Southern Quanzhou” section, the theme “Waves Across the Taiwan Strait, One Family on Both Shores” is highlighted, featuring cultural relics related to national hero Zheng Chenggong and Shi Lang, Qing Dynasty Admiral of the Fujian Navy. There are also exhibitions covering Quanzhou’s overseas Chinese community and notable historical figures.

"Quanzhou History and Culture" is a chronological exhibition of the city’s history. It is divided into four parts: “Early Development,” “The Rise of Citong,” “The World’s Largest Port,” and “The Heroic Spirit of Southern Quanzhou.”

"Quanzhou Nanyin & Traditional Opera Art" is a thematic exhibition on local performing arts in Quanzhou. It is divided into five sections: Introduction Hall, “Tracing the History of Music,” “World Heritage,” “Musical Treasures,” and “Artistic Legacy.” Known as a “cradle of opera,” Quanzhou is home to a wealth of traditional performance arts, including Nanyin, Liyuan Opera, Puppetry, Gaojia Opera, City God Opera, and Glove Puppetry. In 2007, “Quanzhou Nanyin” was listed among the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritages.

Address: North Side of West Lake Park, Fengze District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province

Postal Code: 362000

Tel: 0595-22757518 22757512

Fax: 0595-22757001

Transportation

Transport Routes: Direct buses include routes 202, 203, and 37; transfer to route 26, 17, 21, 2, 27, 33, 6, or 39 and get off at West Lake Station

Admission

Free

Opening Hours

Off-season: 8:30–17:00; Peak season: 8:30–17:30

Further Reading:

· Second-grade National Museum of China