Hubei Provincial Museum

Hubei Provincial Museum

The Hubei Provincial Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a patriotic education base.

The Hubei Provincial Museum was established in 1953. It is one of the eight national museums jointly built by central and local governments, the only provincial-level comprehensive museum in Hubei Province, and the most important institution for cultural relic collection, research, and exhibition in the province. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction. The museum originated from the Hubei People's Science Museum, which was founded in the early years of the People’s Republic of China. On March 16, 1953, with the approval of the provincial government, the Hubei Provincial Museum (Preparatory Office) was established on the basis of the original science museum. The preparatory office was located on Shuili Street in Wuchang, moved to Shuiguohu in 1956, and then relocated to the scenic shores of East Lake in 1960. In January 1963, the Hubei Provincial Museum was officially established, and a 3,000-square-meter exhibition building was completed and opened to the public. In January 1999, the 5,717-square-meter Chime Bells Exhibition Hall was completed and opened. In December 2005, the Chu Culture Exhibition Hall was opened. In September 2007, the new Comprehensive Exhibition Hall was completed and opened.

The museum grounds are shaded by greenery. The Comprehensive Exhibition Hall, Chu Culture Exhibition Hall, and Temporary Exhibition Hall—all featuring high platforms, wide eaves, and large sloping roofs in a classical Chinese architectural style—stand like a massive Chinese character “品.” The overall layout reflects the axial symmetry, “one platform one hall,” “multiple platforms grouped,” and “multiple groups clustered” architectural formats typical of Chu-style high-platform buildings. The entire architectural style highlights features of Chu-style architecture such as multi-layered wide eaves and large sloping roofs. The exterior walls are decorated with light gray granite, while the roofs are paved with dark blue-gray glazed tiles. The outdoor environment is designed in a landscape-garden style, creating a harmonious and historically rich atmosphere through sculptures, rest courtyards, landscaping, and supporting comprehensive service facilities. This provides visitors with a leisurely, comfortable, elegant, and park-like outdoor space. It is a shining pearl by the beautiful East Lake and also a dazzling landmark and a premium open cultural attraction in Wuhan. The museum enjoys a certain reputation both domestically and internationally due to its rich and regionally distinctive collections, continuous research achievements, and notable accomplishments in cultural exchanges with China and abroad. The world’s largest bronze musical instrument, the Zenghouyi Bells; the Yue King Goujian Sword, a masterpiece of China’s cold weapons era; and the Yunxian Man skull fossils, which predate the Peking Man in geological age, all hold extremely significant positions in the history of ancient Chinese culture and possess high historical, cultural, and scientific value, as well as global importance.

Currently, the Hubei Provincial Museum hosts more than ten exhibitions, including the “Chu Culture Exhibition,” “Yunxian Man – Ancient Humans of the Middle Yangtze,” “Qujialing – Prehistoric Culture of the Middle Yangtze,” “Panlongcheng – Bronze Civilization of the Middle Yangtze,” “The Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng,” “Writing History – Bamboo Slips from the Warring States and Qin-Han Periods,” “Qin-Han Lacquerware Art,” “The Tomb of Liangzhuang King – Treasures of the Zheng He Era,” “Art of Earth and Fire – Special Exhibition on Ancient Ceramics,” and “Hundred Heroes of Jingchu.” With its exquisite and abundant exhibits, refined display layouts, rich cultural ambiance, and pleasant viewing environment, the museum introduces visitors to the long history and splendid culture of the Hubei region, making it highly popular among tourists from home and abroad. Since becoming free to the public in 2007, it has received approximately 1.4 million visitors annually, becoming an important patriotic education base for youths in Hubei Province and a window for opening up. It has received high praise from national leaders such as Jiang Zemin and has been visited multiple times by international friends like Henry Kissinger, who were deeply captivated.

To date, the Hubei Provincial Museum covers a total area of 81,909 square meters, with a building area of 49,611 square meters and an exhibition area of 13,427 square meters. It houses over 200,000 cultural relics (sets), including nearly 1,000 first-class relics (sets), ranking among the top provincial museums in China.

The Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology separated from the Hubei Provincial Museum in 1989, becoming an independent legal entity under the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture. It holds excavation qualifications recognized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration. Under the leadership of the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture (Cultural Relics Bureau), it is primarily responsible for cultural relic protection and archaeological excavations within Hubei Province. It undertakes tasks related to cultural relic protection and archaeological surveys, explorations, and excavations in coordination with large and medium-sized infrastructure projects, organizes the writing of archaeological reports, and conducts scientific research. Since its establishment, the institute has prioritized cultural relic protection and archaeological excavations in coordination with large and medium-sized infrastructure projects. Over the past decade, it has successively completed and continues to work on projects in coordination with major infrastructure works such as the Three Gorges Dam, the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, the Hefei-Jiujiang Railway, the Jiaozuo-Liuzhou Railway, the Changjiangpu-Jingmen Railway, and the Xi’an-Nanjing Railway; expressways such as the Beijing-Zhuhai, Huangshi-Huangmei, Xiangfan-Shiyan, and Xiangfan-Jingzhou highways; and reservoir projects such as the Qingjiang Gaobazhou, Geheyan, and Shuibuya dams, achieving remarkable results. Currently, cultural relic protection work in coordination with the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is underway.

In October 2002, the museum and institute merged, operating under two external names but as one integrated internal team. It is a public institution. There are 17 main departments: the Hubei Provincial Museum’s operational departments include the Social Education Department, Conservation Department, Exhibition Department, and Cultural Relics Protection Department; the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology’s operational departments include the Prehistoric Archaeology Department, Historical Period Archaeology Department, Scientific Archaeology Department, and Archaeological Coordination Department; and the comprehensive departments include the Office, Human Resources Department, Information Center, Finance Department, Logistics Department, Security Department, Marketing Department, Infrastructure Office, and Retirees’ Affairs Department.

Transportation:

Take bus routes 14, 709, 552, or tourist buses 402, 411, and get off at Sanguandian.

Ticket:

Admission: Free. Opening hours: Morning, 8:30–12:00 (last entry at 11:30); Afternoon, 13:30–17:00 (last entry at 16:30). Open on holidays as usual. Chime Bells Performance: 15 RMB/person, each performance lasts 20 minutes; one show at 11:00 AM and another at 4:00 PM daily.

Address: No. 160, Donghu Road, Wuchang District, Wuhan

Type: Museum

Rating: AAAA

Recommended visiting time: 2–3 hours

Phone: 027-86794127

Official website: http://www.hbww.org/

Opening hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 15:30), closed on Mondays (except public holidays).

Ticket information: Free admission. Chime Bells performance: 30 RMB per session.

Further reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China