Zixing Wuling Agrarian Civilization Museum

Zixing Wuling Agrarian Civilization Museum

The Wuling Agrarian Civilization Museum is situated on the beautiful Dongjiang Bay, backed by the verdant Phoenix Mountain and overlooking the tranquil Dongjiang River. Approved by the Zixing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, it was planned to display and preserve the precious heritage left by the ancestors of the Wuling area. After two years of preparation, the museum officially opened to the public free of charge on September 20, 2010. The completed museum covers a total area of 4,560 square meters, with a total construction area of nearly 3,000 square meters, and an investment of over 10 million yuan (with land allocated free of charge).

The Wuling Agrarian Civilization Museum features typical characteristics of southern Hunan architecture. Externally, it boasts gray bricks, black tiles, upturned eaves, and decorative plants such as orchids, osmanthus, and bamboo in the courtyards. Inside, there are two floors and six main halls, all featuring carved dark red lacquered wooden doors, black retro-style floor tiles, and overall walls in a simple, soft gray grid pattern. Depending on the exhibits, different designs such as oil paintings, background murals, adobe brick walls, and wooden panel walls are used. In terms of exhibits, the Wuling Agrarian Civilization Museum is divided into two main sections: one is “Wuling Farm Songs – Exhibition of Agrarian Civilization Artifacts,” and the other is the “Zixing’s Natural Splendor” temporary exhibition hall. The “Wuling Farm Songs” section, as the main exhibition, displays over 700 agrarian cultural artifacts of various forms and functions, including one second-grade cultural relic—a finely carved Qing Dynasty shrine, and 68 third-grade relics, such as Qing Dynasty wooden measuring buckets, a large and complete set of oil pressing tools, rare Qing Dynasty rosewood carrying poles, and root-carved armchairs. The “Wuling Farm Songs” exhibition is divided into six major zones based on historical and geographical background, basic labor production, handicrafts, and folk culture: the Introductory Hall, Ancient Legends, Mountain Living, Abundance of Food and Clothing, Passing on Knowledge through Farming and Reading, and the Final Hall. It includes 19 exhibit groups. To enhance vividness and create an immersive experience, the museum employs a variety of display methods, including images, objects, sculptures, sound, lighting, and background murals, and has set up multiple scenes such as rice fields, forest cabins, oil mills, farmhouse kitchens, blacksmith workshops, and wedding ceremonies, recreating lively and authentic agricultural life scenarios. The “Zixing’s Natural Splendor” temporary exhibition hall is divided into two parts: Resources and Scenery, showcasing Zixing’s abundant mineral resources, wildlife, and superior natural and cultural environments, serving as a small window for visitors to learn about Zixing.

As the only agrarian-themed museum in Hunan Province, the Wuling Agrarian Civilization Museum has received widespread acclaim from audiences for its unique theme, creative exhibition design, and rich content. To date, it has welcomed over 60,000 domestic and international visitors. Moreover, due to its strong alignment with the industry’s contemporary goals of being “close to reality, close to life, and close to the people,” the museum was awarded third place in the Hunan Province “Eleventh Five-Year Plan” Excellent Museum and Memorial Exhibition Evaluation, less than half a year after opening. It became the only museum in the Chenzhou region to receive this honor.

Further Reading:

· National Third-Grade Museum of China