Yongqingxiang (China's Rare Newspapers Exhibition Hall)

Yongqingxiang (China's Rare Newspapers Exhibition Hall)

The museum is located at the original site of the Yongqingxiang business house, with architecture preserved in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties, exuding an antique charm. The museum has a total of 10 exhibition halls, including the Photo & Inscription Hall, Pingyao Hall, Shanxi Hall, Turn-of-the-Century Hall, Hong Kong & Macau Hall, and more.

The collection includes over 60,000 types and more than 1.1 million copies of newspapers, which have been included in the Guinness World Records. Among them are rare newspapers from the Qing Dynasty, a series of publications from the Cultural Revolution in the 1950s, and newspapers from ethnic minority regions. The most unique irregularly shaped newspapers include oversized editions, the smallest newspapers, those with the shortest publication periods, as well as palm-sized papers, postcard newspapers, name card newspapers, silk newspapers, fan-shaped newspapers, and more.

The most distinctive is the smallest newspaper — "Jiangnan Travel News," the first full-color miniature true-to-life newspaper, created to commemorate World Tourism Day on September 27 and China’s Tourism Year in 1997. It has been included in the Guinness World Records.

The Pingyao Ancient City Newspaper Collection Museum is situated in the bustling area of Jishikou on Ming-Qing Street, with architecture preserved in the style of the Ming and Qing dynasties, featuring traditional carvings and paintings, exuding an antique charm. With a total investment of over 2 million yuan, the museum holds over 60,000 types and more than 1.1 million copies of newspapers, which have been included in the Guinness World Records. The collection includes rare newspapers from the Qing Dynasty, series from the Cultural Revolution of the 1950s, major current affairs newspapers from Shanxi and across China, some foreign newspapers, and publications from ethnic minorities. The most unique irregularly shaped newspapers include oversized editions, the smallest newspapers, those with the shortest publication periods, as well as palm-sized papers, postcard newspapers, name card newspapers, silk newspapers, cigarette label newspapers, umbrella newspapers, fan-shaped newspapers, and more.

The museum has a total of 10 exhibition halls, including the Photo & Inscription Hall, Pingyao Hall, Shanxi Hall, Turn-of-the-Century Hall, Hong Kong & Macau Hall, and more.

The first exhibition hall is the Photo & Inscription Hall.

It displays inscriptions from leaders at all levels dedicated to the museum, as well as newspapers and books donated by people from various walks of life. Inscribed by Fan Jingyi, former chief editor of People’s Daily: “Gathering treasures across the land, your extensive collection is truly commendable; a modest space holds an ocean of newspapers, unmatched in all the land.” There are also inscriptions from Filipino calligrapher Xu Fuyuan, followed by those from renowned calligrapher and chairman of the Shanxi Calligraphers Association Li Caiwang, president of the China Collectors Association Yan Zhentang, famous writer Ma Feng, former Shanxi Provincial Party Secretary Zhao Yuting, and former deputy director of the Shanxi Provincial People’s Congress Cui Guangzu, who praised Mr. Miao’s collection achievements through the lyrics of "Die Lian Hua." Originally named "Miao Shiming Family Newspaper Collection Museum," it is based in Pingyao due to the city’s profound history and splendid culture, with an even brighter future ahead.

The second exhibition room is the Pingyao Hall.

The ancient city of Pingyao, once part of the fiefdom of Emperor Yao, boasts a rich cultural heritage and strong local characteristics, attracting tourists from around the world. On December 3, 1997, UNESCO officially listed the ancient city of Pingyao as a World Cultural Heritage site. Since then, Pingyao has become a renowned cultural city both in China and abroad. Its fame continues to grow, drawing significant attention from domestic and international media. They have focused their reports and camera lenses on Pingyao, covering it in various publications, newspapers, television programs, and magazines. A special report on the 2nd Pingyao International Photography Festival by Shanxi Daily.

A long-form commentary by Jinzhong Evening News on Pingyao’s implementation of three major strategies that brought fame to the ancient city.

Now, with the development of Pingyao’s economic and political landscape, the Pingyao Ancient City Government-launched Pingyao Ancient City Newspaper has emerged, having published over 100 issues, playing a significant role in promoting Pingyao’s economic and social development.

The third exhibition room is the Shanxi Hall.

This hall displays some precious newspapers from Shanxi Province before the 1960s, including Jin Bao, Bingzhou Official Gazette, the Shanxi Gazette from the 10th year of the Republic of China, early editions of Shanxi Daily and Taiyuan Evening News, as well as Shengli Bao. It also exhibits the first edition of Mao Zedong’s inscription for Shanxi Daily, along with various provincial tabloids, pictorials, and local and county-level newspapers.

Jin Bao was the first newspaper in Shanxi Province, and notably, only two copies survive—one housed in this museum and the other treasured in the Shanghai Museum, the birthplace of newspapers.

Shengli Bao was a small newspaper produced in the resistance base of Heshun during the Anti-Japanese War, using hand-carved and mimeographed printing. The masthead was inscribed by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De. The earliest layout of Shanxi Daily was published before the founding of the People’s Republic, in the 10th year of the Republic of China (1921), featuring sections such as Central Government Decrees, Provincial Decrees, Provincial Capital News, County News, Editorials, and Anti-Opium campaigns, showing the paper’s considerable authority at the time.

Bianqu Zhengbao was published in the 33rd year of the Republic of China (1944), primarily reflecting the work arrangements, policies, and armed struggles of the anti-Japanese democratic government, with the note “Top secret to the enemy, do not lose” printed on it. This is also the earliest layout of Taiyuan Daily.

This copy of Shanxi Daily was published on September 28, 1965, featuring Mao Zedong’s personal inscription for the newspaper’s masthead “Shanxi Daily,” which has been used since the following day. The third exhibition room also preserves other local newspapers from various counties and cities, reflecting the local customs of the time, all well-preserved.

The fourth exhibition is the “Major Current Affairs Hall.”

On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was founded. In the over fifty years since, China has undergone tremendous changes in politics, economy, science, and technology. This hall displays series of reports celebrating the 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, and 50th anniversaries of the founding of the PRC. Through these, we can see how China, once extremely poor and weak, has transformed dramatically over fifty years—especially through twenty years of reform and opening up—and has created miraculous achievements that have astonished the world on the ancient land of China.

The fifth exhibition room is the “Turn-of-the-Century Hall.”

On January 1, 2001, humanity stepped into the 21st century, opening the door to a new era, and major newspapers adopted special layouts to mark this historic moment.

The sixth exhibition room is the “International Hall.”

This hall displays newspapers from the former Soviet Union’s Pravda, as well as from the United States, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, France, and other countries.

Hong Kong & Macau Reunification Hall. The reunification of Hong Kong and Macau thrilled the nation and captured global attention. The press captured and published a series of unforgettable scenes. This hall displays the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong on December 19, 1984, in Beijing. After 13 years of effort, Hong Kong was reunified on July 1, 1997. The most unique feature of Ta Kung Pao is its first set—the largest newspaper layout ever, recorded in the Guinness World Records.

On December 20, 1999, Macau was reunified. Xinjiang Daily reported the news in four different languages (Chinese, Kazakh, Uyghur, and Tibetan), while China Daily announced it to the world in English.

Hong Kong, Macau & Ethnic Minorities Hall

This section features selected exhibitions of newspapers from Hong Kong, Macau, and ethnic minority regions. It includes newspapers from the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions under the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, as well as newspapers from Taiwan, the cherished island long awaited to return to the motherland.

Exhibition Room 7: "The 1950s Hall"

The October 28, 1950 issue of Zhejiang Daily, featuring a speech by Guo Moruo: "The flames of U.S. aggression in Korea have reached China’s doorstep. Opposing U.S. aggression in Korea and defending our homeland is the most effective way for us to safeguard world peace." This report truthfully reflects the determination of the Chinese people to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea at the time. In May 1958, on the basis of the successful completion of the First Five-Year Plan, the Party Central Committee put forward the general line of "going all out, aiming high, and achieving greater, faster, better and more economical results in building socialism." The entire nation was filled with high morale and fighting spirit, devoting itself to the cause of national construction with boundless enthusiasm, resulting in the encouraging situation of industry taking a dominant position, agriculture consolidating its foundational role, and national defense growing stronger. News propaganda repeatedly emphasized this point.

Exhibition Room 9: "Qing Dynasty and Republican Era Treasures Hall"

Among the treasures is the Shen Bao (Shanghai News) from the 8th year of the Guangxu reign (1882). Shen Bao is the longest-running and most influential daily newspaper in modern China. It serves as a treasure trove of historical materials for studying modern Chinese history. It not only recorded major political events at home and abroad during various historical periods but also published content related to the economy, culture, and more. Its business news and "Economic Special Edition" are valuable resources for researching China’s economic history.

The most unique item is the smallest newspaper — the Jiangnan You Bao (Jiangnan Travel Newspaper), which is the first full-color miniature newspaper of its kind. It was created to commemorate World Tourism Day on September 27 and China Tourism Year in 1997, and has been included in the Guinness World Records. There is also a uniquely designed umbrella newspaper.

The Newspaper Collection Museum houses exquisite collections of newspapers and periodicals.

Address: No. 142, South Street, Pingyao County, Jinzhong City

Type: Museum

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Ticket information:

No separate ticket required. Included in the Pingyao Ancient City Pass. Ancient City Pass: 120 RMB (peak season), 90 RMB (off-season), valid for three days.