Chuxiong Prefecture Museum (Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum)

Chuxiong Prefecture Museum (Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum)

The Chuxiong Prefecture Museum (Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum) is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Chuxiong Prefecture Museum (Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum) is located just outside the southern gate of Chuxiong City, covering an area of nearly 60 acres with a total construction area of 11,200 square meters. It consists of seven exhibition halls—including the Introductory Hall, Paleontology Hall, Historical Relics Hall, Ethnic Culture Hall, Chuxiong Local Party History Hall, Calligraphy and Painting Hall, and Flora and Fauna Specimens Hall—as well as 12 exhibition rooms. The exhibition space exceeds 7,000 square meters and houses over 8,400 cultural relics. It was officially opened to the public on July 21, 1995.

Chuxiong Prefecture Museum

Chuxiong Prefecture is the homeland of Yuanmou Man, the earliest known ancestors of the Chinese people; it is also home to the Lufeng dinosaurs and the site where the world’s earliest bronze drums were discovered. As an autonomous prefecture for ethnic minorities, it boasts a rich cultural and historical heritage. The Chuxiong Prefecture Museum displays internationally renowned fossils such as those of the Lufeng dinosaurs, Lufeng Ramapithecus, Yuanmou Man’s teeth, as well as precious relics like the Wanjiaba bronze drum. Additionally, the museum features ethnic handicrafts, exquisite Yi ethnic costumes, the Yi solar calendar, calligraphy, oil paintings, traditional Chinese paintings, murals, and paper-cut artworks, serving as a window into the history and culture of the Yi region.

Transportation

Railway

The railway from Kunming to Chuxiong spans 184 kilometers. Hard seat tickets cost 19 yuan, and the journey takes approximately 3.5 hours, with stops at stations such as Wenquan, Lufeng, and Guangtong.

Train No. 5652/5653 departs Kunming at 18:57 and arrives in Chuxiong at 22:20.

Train No. 5652/5653 departs Chuxiong at 08:00 and arrives in Kunming at 11:44.

Train No. N818/N819 departs Kunming at 09:30, makes a stop in Chuxiong at 13:04, and terminates in Dali.

Train No. N817/N820 departs Dali, stops in Chuxiong at 15:01, and arrives in Kunming at 18:38.

Highway

Chuxiong is located west of Kunming and enjoys convenient transportation. National Highway 320 (the Burma Road) connects Kunming with various prefectures in western Yunnan. Expressways from Kunming to Dali, Chuxiong, Baoshan, and Lijiang are also operational.

The Chuxiong-Dali Expressway was the first in the province to adopt an IC card computer toll system. Drivers simply take a card at any entrance and pay upon exiting by swiping the card.

Buses to Chuxiong are available at Kunming Nanjiao Coach Station (opposite Kunming Railway Station) and Xiyuan Coach Station. The approximately 165-kilometer journey takes around 2.5 hours, with ticket prices around 50 yuan.

Address: No. 471, Lucheng South Road, Chuxiong City, Yunnan Province

Type: Museum

Recommended visiting time: 1 hour

Official website: http://www.cxbw.gov.cn/

Ticket information:

Free admission.

Further reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China