Gushi County Museum

Gushi County Museum

The Gushi Ancestral Roots Museum, themed around surname genealogy tracing, is the only museum in Henan Province dedicated to this theme. Adjacent to the county administrative center, it covers an area of 4,000 square meters with a total floor space of 10,000 square meters. This four-story garden-style building features a unique design, dignified and elegant appearance, and a “four-door open” layout, fully reflecting Gushi’s spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and deep-rooted connections with the world. The museum's foundation stone was laid in May 2006, with a total investment of nearly 30 million yuan. It was completed and opened to the public free of charge by the end of 2008, and its exhibitions (Phase II) were enriched and upgraded in 2010.

Based on the historical development of Gushi, the Ancestral Roots Museum focuses on two major exhibition contents:

The first is centered around unearthed cultural relics. It prominently displays over 300 pieces of fine cultural relics from the Neolithic Age to modern times, highlighting the region’s distinctive cultural identity and profound historical legacy.

The second is the ancestral roots culture exhibition themed around the four major historical migrations from Gushi to the southeastern coastal regions. Centered on the shared lineage between Central Plains culture and the Minnan (Southern Fujian) and Hakka cultures, it is divided into four sections: conditions for Gushi people migrating to Fujian, General Chen’s entry into Fujian, the Three Kings entering Fujian, and migrations during the Song dynasties. It highlights the life stories and achievements of key figures such as Chen Yuanguang, the Sacred King of Zhangzhou, and Wang Shenzhi, the King of Min, along with their far-reaching impacts on territorial expansion and legacy.

The exhibition design of the Ancestral Roots Museum closely follows the theme of ancestral roots. The display begins with two lush ancestral trees, symbolizing the interconnected roots and shared origins across the Taiwan Strait. The “Dark Bird” (Xuanniao), symbolizing the “return of the swallow,” is used as the emblem of Gushi’s ancestral roots culture. The exhibition also consistently features iconic Huizhou-style architecture and Hakka tulou structures, which carry significant cultural heritage meaning, serving as the central axis to illustrate the cultural exchanges and integration between Central Plains, Minnan, and Hakka cultures. By showcasing the processes of artifact discovery and excavation, the historical backgrounds of the artifacts, the four major southern migration events in Gushi’s history, the deep ties between Gushi and Fujian-Taiwan, notable historical figures related to cross-strait history, and the pioneering achievements of migrating ancestors in developing Fujian, as well as information on surname origins, genealogical records, calligraphy and paintings, and folk interactions, the museum utilizes a comprehensive array of presentation techniques — including physical models, scene reconstructions, 3D animations, multimedia, charts and figures, and textual descriptions — to vividly interpret the shared historical lineage among Henan, Fujian, and Taiwan, and the unique charm of ancestral roots culture.

As an important platform for patriotic education, the Ancestral Roots Museum plays a significant role in promoting ancestral roots culture, enhancing public literacy, and enriching the spiritual life of the community. Guided by the principles of engaging with society, serving the public, and promoting culture, the museum continuously optimizes its services, innovates service methods, and improves facilities. It also operates a “Cultural Center” and “Library” alongside the museum, forming a comprehensive service hub supported by the museum and featuring these three facilities. It has become a spiritual home for the public to engage in cultural activities and refine their sentiments. Through long-term cooperation mechanisms and membership agreements with local primary and secondary schools and various social organizations, the museum sees a constant flow of visitors each year, including students, the general public, Taiwanese compatriots and their families, all coming for visits, ancestral tracing, reading, and activities. Since its opening, the museum has hosted tens of thousands of visitors, including leaders such as –, Zhang Huaixi, Chen Yunlin, Wang Yifu, Liang Guoyang, Lu Zhangong, and Guo Gengmao, as well as guests from all walks of life, members of surnames associations from home and abroad, and local residents, totaling several hundred thousand people, among which nearly 4,000 were from various sectors in Taiwan.

As a hall for inheriting cultural heritage, the Ancestral Roots Museum has become a beautiful calling card of Gushi, as well as a bond for ancestral roots exchanges and a platform for cultural interaction with the outside world.

In 2012, the Ancestral Roots Museum was designated as a “Cross-Strait Exchange Base” by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee.

Further Reading:

· National Third-Class Museum of China