Sichuan Jianchuan Museum

Sichuan Jianchuan Museum

Sichuan Jianchuan Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

• China’s largest private museum cluster, renowned for its WWII-themed exhibits, with each pavilion featuring a distinct architectural style.

The Jianchuan Museum, officially known as the Jianchuan Museum Cluster, was founded by private entrepreneur Fan Jianchun and is located in China’s Museum Town—the Anren Ancient Town in Dayi County, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, the site of the Liu Family Manor. Covering an area of 500 acres with a built-up area of nearly 100,000 square meters, the museum houses over 8 million artifacts, including 404 first-class national relics. Themed “For peace, we collect war; for the future, we collect lessons; for tranquility, we collect disasters; for heritage, we collect folklore,” the museum features over 30 pavilions across four major series: WWII, folklore, the Red Era, and earthquake relief. Currently, 25 pavilions are open to the public, making it the private museum in China with the most investment, largest scale, most extensive exhibition space, and richest collection.

The Jianchuan Museum breaks away from the traditional concept of a “museum” by not only being the first in China to gather over 30 museums in one place but also integrating various supporting businesses such as hotels, inns, teahouses, and antique shops, presenting a quasi-museum state. It forms a new-concept museum that combines artifact display, education and research, tourism and leisure, collection exchange, art exhibitions, and film shooting, as well as a destination for China’s century-long cultural and museum tourism and rural leisure vacations.

Due to its remarkable achievements, it has been honored with titles such as National Cultural Industry Demonstration Base, National AAAA-Level Tourist Attraction, and Key Project of the National Guangcai Program.

The 25 museums and 2 theme squares of the Jianchuan Museum Cluster were designed by renowned domestic and international architects and sculptors, including Arata Isozaki, Chester Widom, Xing Tonghe, Zhang Yonghe, Peng Yigang, and Ma Guoxin, creating national-level architectural and sculptural masterpieces.

The Jianchuan Museum Cluster currently houses over 10 million precious cultural relics, including 329 first-class national relics, ranking first among private museums in China.

The Jianchuan Museum Cluster innovatively breaks away from the traditional concept of a “museum” by not only unprecedentedly gathering over 20 museums in one place in China but also integrating various supporting businesses such as hotels, inns, teahouses, antique shops, and other commercial facilities, presenting them in a quasi-museum state. This forms a new-concept museum that combines artifact display, education and research, tourism and leisure, collection exchange, art exhibitions, and film shooting, as well as a destination for China’s century-long cultural and museum tourism and rural leisure vacations.

Meanwhile, the Jianchuan Museum Cluster, together with the old street, the old mansion district, and the ancient town tourist area, as well as the pastoral scenery area of the Liu Wenchao and Liu Wenhui mansions, forms the three major tourist sections of Anren Ancient Town.

Fan Jianchun, director of the Jianchuan Museum, once said: “Building museums and collecting artifacts is to record and restore history. This is not just for commemoration, but to make every heart face the nation’s wounds directly, letting the memory of war become a resource for the nation’s thoughts.” Moreover, Fan Jianchun’s mission in building the museum is to make the world remember history: “For peace, we collect war; for the future, we collect—history.”

The Jianchuan Museum Cluster is the largest private museum in China, featuring four major series: WWII, folklore, the Red Era, and earthquakes. Of course, the most famous is the WWII series. The buildings in the cluster are all designed by master architects, and appreciating these uniquely styled structures is a delight in itself.

The Jianchuan Museum Cluster not only concentrates over 20 small museums in one area but also houses commercial facilities such as hotels, teahouses, and antique shops within the complex. An artificial lake has been built in the northern part of the site, making it more like a large leisure park.

The WWII series is the most famous

The most renowned WWII series in the complex consists of five pavilions and three squares. Each pavilion displays the arduous years of the war through precious historical materials, artifacts, photos, and restored scenes. Among them, the most noteworthy is the Pillar of the Nation Pavilion, which is an orange-red cube and serves as the first stop for visitors.

The Folklore Series consists of six pavilions. These pavilions house a wide variety of folklore artifacts from western Sichuan and even across China, including even plaques, —, embroidered shoes, and foot-binding cloths.

The Red Era Series showcases that frenetic period through various forms of Mao Zedong badges, ration coupons, Cultural Revolution propaganda posters, and audiovisual materials such as gramophones and slides.

The newly built Earthquake Series Museum is free to the public, with a somewhat solemn space filled with artifacts related to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake.

With so many pavilions, it’s unrealistic to visit each one. It’s recommended to choose one or two pavilions from each series based on your interests.

Special Tips

1. You can take the electric sightseeing vehicle within the complex for a ticket of 10 yuan. Alternatively, renting a bicycle to travel between pavilions is also a good option, with fees subject to the daily announcements of the scenic area.

Address: No. 550, Section 2, Yingbin Road, Anren Town, Dayi County, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, Jianchuan Museum

Type: Museum

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–4 hours

Phone: 028-88318000

Official Website: http://www.jc-museum.cn/cn/

Opening Hours:

9:00-17:30

Ticket Information:

Single museum ticket: 20 RMB/person; All-museum pass: 60 RMB/person (original price 100 RMB/person, 40% discount for the 80th anniversary of the Sichuan Army's departure from Sichuan, valid on the day of purchase)

Source: Jianchuan Museum Cluster

Further Reading:

·National First-Class Museum of China