Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Farming and Reclamation Museum

Farming and Reclamation Museum

The Farming and Reclamation Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a science education base, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The predecessor of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Farming and Reclamation Museum was the Shihezi Farming and Reclamation Museum, which was established in 1988. Since its opening in 1995, it has received over 1.5 million domestic and international visitors, averaging 250,000 visitors per year, making it the first museum in China dedicated to showcasing the history of farming and reclamation. From September 1995 to October 2004, the museum was located at the former site of the entrepreneurial headquarters of the 22nd Corps, with an exhibition area of only 168 square meters. In 2004, based on the Shihezi Farming and Reclamation Museum, the municipal cultural relic protection unit "Farming and Reclamation First Building" in Shihezi City was expanded and renovated into the "Xinjiang Corps Farming and Reclamation Museum." It officially opened on October 10, 2004, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and a grand unveiling ceremony was held.

The current Xinjiang Corps Farming and Reclamation Museum officially closed on December 31, 2009, for its second renovation and expansion project, with plans to reopen on May 1, 2010. The second renovation expanded the museum's building area to 9,703 square meters, increasing the exhibition area to over 4,700 square meters and the cultural relics storage area to 1,300 square meters. The museum now integrates exhibitions, conferences, and office functions, offering comprehensive facilities.

The total construction area of the Farming and Reclamation Museum is 9,703 square meters, and it currently displays over 5,000 items, including 29 classified as national first-class revolutionary cultural relics. Using sound, light, and electric effects, the large-scale semi-scene painting depicting the People’s Liberation Army soldiers battling the wilderness upon entering Xinjiang leaves a deep impression on visitors. It serves as an important base for showcasing the history of farming and reclamation and for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education. In 2005, it was named one of the top 100 red tourism attractions in China. The renovated Xinjiang Corps Farming and Reclamation Museum has an exhibition area of 3,100 square meters and integrates exhibitions, conferences, and office functions, offering comprehensive facilities. It is the only museum in China that primarily exhibits the history of Xinjiang’s land reclamation and border defense in the new China era. It is now recognized as a “National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base,” a “National Top 100 Red Tourism Classic Destination,” and a “National AAAA-Level Tourist Attraction.” As a microcosm of the farming and reclamation spirit and the Corps, the Xinjiang Corps Farming and Reclamation Museum leverages its unique charm and rich cultural heritage to fully fulfill its role as a patriotic education base, contributing to Xinjiang’s farming and reclamation endeavors, the cultural and museum industry, and the development of a harmonious society.

Further Reading:

· National Second-Class Museum of China