Nanning Museum

Nanning Museum

The Nanning Museum is located at No. 15 Longdi Road, Wuxiang New District (along the Yong River, at the intersection of Longdi Road and Songxiang Road). It is a comprehensive local museum primarily dedicated to the education, exhibition, collection, and research of Nanning’s historical and cultural heritage.

The Nanning Museum has a total construction area of 30,800 square meters, with an exhibition area of 12,000 square meters. The architectural design of the museum is elegant and features distinctive local characteristics. Its shape resembles a string of light leaves, the noble and magnificent wings of a phoenix, the flying feathered figures on bronze drum patterns, and a fleet of sailing ships. The exterior facade uses modern materials such as perforated aluminum panels, adorned with ethnic decorative patterns like Zhuang brocade. It unifies modernity, regional identity, and ethnicity, symbolizing a vibrant, inclusive, and united modern Nanning. In the lobby, there is an artistic installation of the character “邕” (Yong), creatively designed by a renowned designer. It not only reflects the original meaning of “邕” as a city surrounded by water but also, through the homophonic connection between “邕” and “雍” (harmony), conveys the cultural essence of “peace and harmony.” This installation is both artistic and functional, and is the first of its kind in museums across China.

The Nanning Museum is not only architecturally beautiful but also clearly positions its mission as “a city cultural community that dialogues with history, appreciates art, and inherits civilization.” It strives to become a world-influential, top-tier “living museum” in China.

The museum houses five permanent exhibitions, divided into two basic displays: “Splendor of Yong – Ancient Nanning Exhibition” and “A Century of Yongcheng – Modern Nanning Exhibition”; and three special exhibitions: “The 1929 Nanning Mutiny Exhibition,” “Song of the Earth – Nanning Folk Song Art Exhibition,” and “The Charm of Red Clay – Lu Quanzhi’s Red Pottery Art Exhibition.” In addition to showcasing Nanning’s historical and cultural heritage across different periods, these five exhibition halls place great emphasis on visitor participation and experience. Beyond conventional display methods, the exhibitions feature innovative breakthroughs in the integration of content and space, the combination of cultural relics and intangible cultural heritage, the unity of exhibition and education, and the fusion of exhibition and performance. Particularly, the “Song of the Earth” Nanning Folk Song Art Exhibition Hall presents intangible cultural heritage and the charm of the Nanning International Folk Song Art Festival through an integrated exhibition and performance approach, adding an auditory dimension to what would otherwise be a purely visual experience, thereby fully conveying the cultural messages and essence of folk songs.

The Nanning Museum also includes two special exhibition halls, two temporary exhibition halls, a VIP reception room, a multifunctional hall, a museum restaurant, and a souvenir shop, among other public cultural facilities. The two special exhibition halls are built to international first-class standards and have hosted a series of high-quality domestic and international exhibitions, providing a new platform for promoting Nanning’s international and domestic cultural exchanges.

Admission is free and no tickets are required. Visitors must present valid identification (ID card, student ID, military ID, senior citizen ID, or driver’s license). Children under 1.4 meters may enter without an ID.

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–16:30; last admission at 16:00. Closed on Mondays (except for holidays and other special events, when visiting hours will be announced in advance).

Further reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China