Western Xia Museum

Western Xia Museum

The Western Xia Museum is located within the territory of the Western Xia Tombs at the eastern foot of the Helan Mountains in Yinchuan City, Ningxia. It is China’s first thematic museum featuring the comprehensive and systematic history of the Western Xia Dynasty, set against the backdrop of the Western Xia Tombs. Officially opened on September 23, 1998, the museum covers an area of 5,300 square meters and has two floors. It includes nine various exhibition halls. The basic exhibitions consist of the History of the Western Xia, the Western Xia Tombs, and research achievements on the Western Xia. The museum is designed in the style of a multi-eaved pagoda of the Western Xia, featuring a unique architectural style that combines the grandeur of modern buildings with echoes of the tomb site ruins, creating a strong ethnic architectural character.

The museum currently hosts two basic exhibitions: the "Western Xia History and Culture Exhibition" and the "Western Xia Research Achievements Exhibition," displaying over 700 historical relics from the Western Xia period and more than 500 volumes (or copies) of research materials on the Western Xia. The "Western Xia History and Culture Exhibition" is divided into six sections: the Migration of the Tangut People and the Rise of the Western Xia; Western Xia Politics, Law, and Military; Western Xia Society and Economy; Western Xia Culture; Western Xia Religion; and the Western Xia Tombs. These six exhibitions feature carefully selected national first-class cultural relics such as human figure pedestal stones, portraits of civil officials, small stone horses, carved dragon pillar bases, Kirtimukha carvings, thangkas, silk paintings, clay Buddhist sculpture heads, arhat heads, along with fragments of steles in the Western Xia and Chinese scripts, Buddhist scriptures, Western Xia ceramics, official seals, Western Xia coins, and Western Xia construction materials. These are supplemented with auxiliary exhibits such as large-scale sand table models, pagoda models, miniature landscapes, human figure sculptures, copied murals, charts, and photographs. They reveal the essence of Western Xia history and culture and showcase the highlights of Western Xia art. Visitors can here appreciate the former glory and splendor of the Western Xia Kingdom. This exhibition was rated by the National Cultural Heritage Administration as one of the “Top Ten Fine Exhibitions Nationwide in 1999.”

The Western Xia Museum is China’s first museum set against the backdrop of a royal Western Xia mausoleum complex, authentically and vividly presenting the rise and fall of the Western Xia Kingdom. The museum covers a total area of 5,300 square meters, features the distinctive architectural style of a multi-eaved pagoda of the Western Xia, blends the grandeur of modern structures with echoes of the surrounding tomb ruins, and creates a strong local ethnic architectural identity.

The Western Xia Museum boasts a unique architectural design. Its exterior walls are white, and the structure appears as a two-story pavilion-style building with five octagonal spire-roofed pavilions on the roof. The front and side sloping walls are decorated with two tiers of shallow niches in the style of eaves from Western Xia pagodas, reflecting a strong Western Xia architectural flavor. The museum faces west and sits to the east, covering an area of 5,300 square meters. The main building is 65 meters long, 37 meters wide, and 20 meters high, making it China’s first thematic museum dedicated to the Western Xia. The exhibition area inside the museum spans 1,883 square meters and includes nine exhibition halls, showcasing the finest artifacts from the Western Xia’s historical and cultural heritage. Among them, the “Exhibition of Western Xia Historical Relics” features 671 of the most representative Western Xia relics, while the “Exhibition of Western Xia Research Achievements” uses physical objects, charts, paintings, photocopied images, models, and sound-light effects to vividly and authentically present the rise and fall of the Western Xia Empire.

The museum has carefully selected 671 of the most representative Western Xia relics, along with 413 volumes (or articles) of monographs, papers, and magazine articles. Major exhibits include carved dragon stone pillars, stone horses, glazed ridge ornaments, Western Xia stone inscriptions, stone human figure pedestals, Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist paintings, iron armor, Western Xia ceramics, and official seals. A 1:6 scale replica of the Hongfo Pagoda before its restoration is also displayed. On the second-floor atrium wall, eight meticulously copied Western Xia murals are showcased, highlighting the essence of Western Xia cave art and allowing visitors to experience the past glory and splendor of the Western Xia Kingdom. Numerous historical mysteries will stir endless imagination among visitors.

In September 2018, after self-assessment and application by the museum, evaluation by provincial museum industry organizations, expert review organized by the National Museum Evaluation Committee, and filing with the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Chinese Museums Association approved the Western Xia Museum as a third-tier national museum in the third batch of such designations.

Further Reading:

· China’s Second-Tier National Museums