Dongting Lake Museum

　　The Yuanjiang City Dongting Lake Museum is situated on the western shore of Qionghu Lake in Yuanjiang’s urban area, occupying about 2,400 square meters. It is an early-established and high-standard garden-style institution. Established as an independent entity in 1984, it also took on the additional role of the “Yuanjiang Cultural Relics Management Office” in 1990, operating under two names but with a single team. Its primary responsibilities include the collection, preservation, and utilization of cultural relics, as well as organizing external exhibitions. Additionally, it is tasked with the protection of immovable cultural heritage within the city, archaeological surveys, and rescue excavations.

　　The museum houses a total of 8,975 cultural relics, with computerized records completed for all items. Among these, 650 are classified as national first-, second-, and third-grade precious relics. Among its most notable collections are nearly 2,000 ancient calligraphy and painting works by famous individuals—both in quantity and quality, they rank among the best in county-level (or municipal-level) museums across the province.

　　Under its jurisdiction are three provincial-level key cultural relics protection units: Lingyun Pagoda, Zhenjiang Pagoda, and the Zhou Weiyin Villa; three Yiyang Municipal-level protected sites: Kuixing Lou, Qionghu Academy, and Shichengshan Ruins; as well as 40 cultural relics protection units at the Yuanjiang City level, distributed throughout the city. These are all invaluable assets to the people of Yuanjiang.

　　Over the years, we have faithfully implemented the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics," fulfilling the requirements of the “Five Inclusions” and “Four Haves” for cultural relics protection. We regularly host exhibitions such as “Excavated Relics from the Dongting Lake Region,” “Folk Cultural Relics Exhibition,” and “Exhibition of Fine Ancient Calligraphy and Paintings by Historical Figures.” Temporary thematic exhibitions are also frequently updated. Our work has had significant influence across the province—notably, we were awarded the title of “Model County for the 'Five Inclusions' in Cultural Relics Protection” by the provincial government; recognized as a “Civilized Museum of the Province” and an “Advanced Collective in Cultural Relics Inventory and Archiving” by the provincial cultural relics bureau. Since 2005, we have been honored seven times as a “Yuanjiang City Advanced Unit in Double Civilization” and twice as an “Advanced Grassroots Party Organization.” In 2012, we received the title of “Advanced Collective of March 8th Red-Banner Pacesetters” from Yiyang City.

　　Since the implementation of the national policy of “free public access” in 2008, the museum has welcomed an average of nearly 40,000 visitors per year, fully serving as a window for promoting spiritual civilization and continuously expanding its social impact.