Changde Museum

Changde Museum

Changde Museum is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

The establishment of Changde Museum began in 1990. On May 23, 1991, the foundation of the main building was laid. By March 28, 1993, the main hall was completed, and the National "Spark Program" Scientific and Technological Achievements Exhibition was successfully held. The north and south thematic pavilions commenced construction in March 1998 and were completed in May 1999. The museum’s permanent exhibition was officially opened to the public on October 28, 1993.

Changde Museum covers an area of 21,300 square meters. The building complex spans 10,000 square meters and features a traditional Chinese courtyard-style architecture, consisting of the main hall and the north and south thematic pavilions. The main hall is divided into a front lobby, a central hall, and a rear courtyard. The street-facing facade includes a 68-meter-long wall. Inside the wall lies a spacious front plaza, at the center of which is a colorful musical fountain. Two large stone lions stand guard on either side of the front steps. The outer walls on the north and south sides of the front lobby are adorned with two large fiberglass bronze relief sculptures—one depicting an ancient legend of Changde and the other showcasing notable figures and major events from Changde's modern history. The first floor of the front lobby features the largest Tang tri-color mural in Hunan—Peach Blossom Spring Paradise. The central hall is covered with a glass roof, ensuring ample natural light and offering a spacious, multi-functional exhibition space. The rear courtyard houses fully enclosed exhibition rooms and storage areas, including 10 standard exhibition rooms. The entire facility complies with the security technology standards set by the National Cultural Heritage Administration for top-tier risk institutions. Exhibitions include the "Changde Historical Relics Exhibition," "The Battle of Changde During the Second Sino-Japanese War," "The Changde Bacteriological Warfare Exhibition," "The Roots of China Exhibition," and the "Changde Celebrities Hall." There are six relic storage rooms where artifacts of different materials are categorized and managed across six designated zones. In 2005, the museum was selected as one of the five pilot institutions nationwide to meet national preservation environment standards for museum collections. The storage rooms are equipped with temperature and humidity control systems, ensuring the protection of both the museum’s collection and the city’s precious relics using a combination of traditional techniques and modern science. The north and south thematic pavilions are connected to the main hall—the north wing is the "Changde Folk Culture Museum," displaying local customs, while the south wing is the "Changde Art Museum," showcasing calligraphy, paintings, photography, and other fine artworks by both local and non-local artists.

As a provincial patriotic education base and a national AA-level tourist attraction, Changde Museum relies on its permanent exhibitions such as the "Changde Historical Relics Exhibition," "Changde Folk Culture Museum," "The Battle of Changde During the Second Sino-Japanese War," "The Changde Bacteriological Warfare Exhibition," "The Roots of China Exhibition," and the "Changde Celebrities Hall." Each year, it also hosts over 10 temporary exhibitions on science, calligraphy, painting, and photography, providing educational opportunities for citizens and students. Since its inception, the museum has organized 19 influential special exhibitions, including the "Changde Collectors Association Exhibition" and the "Mao Zedong Badge Collection Exhibition." In recent years, the museum has been recognized as a "Provincial Garden-Style Unit," a "Changde Juvenile Ideological and Moral Education Base," and a "Changde Youth Legal Education Base." It receives an average of over 60,000 visitors annually.

As the city’s center for cultural relic collection, research, and preservation, Changde Museum has acquired over 50,000 cultural relics, photographs, books, and documents for the nation. These include 1,092 items of social construction heritage, 550 stray cultural relics, 78 identified as national first-grade relics, 494 second-grade relics, and 450 third-grade relics. The text information and image data of all third-grade and above relics have been collected. Among the collection, the most distinctive are relics unearthed from prehistoric sites in Changde—including stone tools dating back 500,000 years, pottery from the Pengtoushan culture site (named after Changde) that dates back 9,000 years, as well as various pottery and stone tools from the Zaoshi Lower Culture and Tangjiagang Culture sites in Changde. Additionally, bronzeware such as chunyu (a type of ancient bell), bronze mirrors, and lacquered wooden items from the Chu and Han periods are considered masterpieces. Among later relics, highlights include the largest and best-preserved Northern Song Dynasty bronze mirror ever excavated in China, jade, porcelain, and bronze artifacts unearthed from the tomb of Liu Hong of the Jin Dynasty (recognized as one of China’s “Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the Year”), Yuan Dynasty porcelain pillows, and a wide variety of exquisitely crafted Yuan Dynasty gold and silverware.

Since its founding, Changde Museum has placed great emphasis on scientific research and staff training. Numerous professionals have been sent to universities and research institutions within and outside the province for concentrated study and training, resulting in improvements in archaeological excavation and exhibition skills. To date, the museum has independently completed or participated in over 80 major archaeological projects within and outside the province, including six field expeditions to the Three Gorges region, which earned high praise from leaders and experts. The museum’s exhibition standards rank among the best in the province, with its rich content, advanced methods, and diverse formats widely recognized by peers and audiences both nationally and internationally. In academic research, the museum has published two monographs and over 100 papers and reports.

In its early days, Changde Museum and the Changde Cultural Relics Office shared the same staff under two names. The museum exhibitions were primarily managed by the Museum Division of the city’s Cultural Relics Office. In December 2001, following the municipal government’s institutional reform, Changde Museum became an independent legal entity. Through open recruitment, a director and two deputy directors were elected. The museum now consists of an Exhibition Department, an Archaeology Department, a Security Department, and an Office. Starting May 1, 2004, in accordance with requirements from the Ministry of Culture and the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the museum implemented free admission for group visits by minors, as well as for active-duty military personnel, seniors, and people with disabilities. To truly embody the public-service nature of the museum and bring culture closer to everyday life, all basic exhibitions were planned to be opened free to the public starting December 1, 2007—excluding pre-contracted tour groups and temporarily introduced commercial exhibitions.

Address: No. 144, Wuling Avenue, Wuling District, Changde City

Phone: 0736-7224091

Official Website: http://www.cdbwg.cn/cn/index.asp

Opening Hours:

The museum is currently under renovation and expansion and is not open to the public.

Source: Changde Museum

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China