Yiyuan Museum

Yiyuan Museum

The cultural park of Yiyuan Museum (YiYuanMuseum) covers an area of 80,000 square meters and is divided into three parts: the main building, two side comprehensive buildings, and a cultural square. The main building has a total floor area of 12,000 square meters and features an exterior that resembles knife-shaped ancient Chinese currency.

The total area of Yiyuan Museum is 2,526 square meters, divided into four exhibition halls: one basic permanent exhibition and three thematic exhibitions. The basic permanent exhibition is the Cultural Relics Boutique Exhibition, designed by combining chronological and spatial arrangements with types of artifacts, as well as integrating regular display cases with central showcases. It presents a multi-layered spatial layout while maintaining clear focal points. The exhibition area spans 614 square meters and displays over 200 pieces of fine cultural relics. Key exhibits include the skull fossil of the “Yiyuan Man,” the earliest known human in Shandong, and a large number of significant bronze artifacts unearthed from the Xiyutai site in Yiyuan County, which was among China’s Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in 2000. These collections mainly consist of the museum’s own cultural relics, encompassing various categories such as fossils, stone tools, pottery, bronzeware, ironware, porcelain, gold, silver, and jade artifacts.

The three thematic exhibition halls are dedicated to the Economic and Social Development of Yiyuan, the Urban Planning of Yiyuan, and the Folk Culture of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl Myth. Each hall covers an area of 500 square meters. The Economic and Social Development Exhibition Hall introduces Yiyuan’s economic growth and changes in recent years; the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall showcases the overall plan of Yiyuan County and future urban development plans; the Folk Culture of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl Myth Exhibition Hall centers on the legend of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, displaying local folk artifacts and customs from Yiyuan, the believed birthplace of the legend.

Opening hours are from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM and from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM daily. Admission is free to the public, and the museum remains open during holidays.

Further Reading:

· National Third-Class Museum of China