Weifang Yuandu Rosewood Inlaid Silver Lacquerware Museum

Weifang Yuandu Rosewood Inlaid Silver Lacquerware Museum

The Weifang Yuandu Rosewood Inlaid Silver Lacquerware Museum was established in April 2014 and is located at the southern end of Beihai Road, Fangzi District, Weifang City. It is the first non-state-owned museum registered with the cultural relics authorities of Shandong Provincial Government. In May 2015, it was included in the first batch of Shandong Province’s Rural Memory Project Museums. In May 2016, it was recognized as a Shandong Provincial Demonstration Base for the Productive Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The museum houses a collection of over 2,000 pieces of inlaid silver lacquerware from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, the Republic of China era, and the modern age, providing an important exhibition platform for the development history of the national intangible cultural heritage—Weifang Inlaid Silver Lacquering Technique. It has become a key venue for both showcasing collections and inheriting craftsmanship, playing a positive role in the protection and transmission of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

The museum combines both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Over the three years since its operation, visitor numbers have increased year by year. In recent years, primary and secondary schools have placed great emphasis on education in outstanding traditional Chinese culture, and enthusiasm for visiting and learning about cultural heritage has continued to grow, with parents and students making up the majority of visitors. To better fulfill the educational, exhibition, and heritage functions of a non-state-owned museum and expand its audience, on June 10th this year, coinciding with the first National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, the museum held an inauguration ceremony for the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Weifang Inlaid Silver Lacquering Technique Master Studio in collaboration with Shandong Transport Vocational College. Master artisans or inheritors of the traditional Weifang rosewood inlaid silver lacquerware technique taught the craft to more than 11,700 teachers and students at the college, promoting outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

In addition to maintaining its regular permanent exhibitions, in recent years, the Weifang Yuandu Rosewood Inlaid Silver Lacquerware Museum has also actively participated in domestic and international cultural exchange activities organized by government bodies at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. Moreover, the museum has frequently sent its inheritors to participate in cultural exchange or skill demonstration events in places such as Taiwan, Beijing, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Jinan, Luoyang, and Zaozhuang, aiming to enhance their skills and ensure better inheritance and development of traditional cultural techniques. At the same time, it has gone abroad to countries in Europe and America to showcase and exchange outstanding traditional Chinese culture, receiving commendations and positive feedback.

Further Reading:

· China National Third-Class Museum