Jining Museum · Chongjue Temple Scenic Area

　　The Jining Museum Chongjue Temple Scenic Area is situated within the Iron Pagoda Temple in the city center. The west gate of the museum faces Guhuai Road, and just 500 meters south lies the former course of the Grand Canal. Established on May 16, 1985, the museum covers an area of 31 mu. The complex consists of two parts: the eastern section is the Iron Pagoda Temple, originally built in the first year of Huangjian of the Northern Qi Dynasty (560 AD), and was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council in 1988; the western section features imitation ancient architecture. The total construction area of the museum is 11,000 square meters, including 8,831 square meters for the main exhibition building. It is an impressive architectural complex that organically combines ancient structures with imitation ancient buildings.

　　The Jining Museum preserves several ancient buildings that are National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units, including the Song Dynasty Iron Pagoda, Ming Dynasty Mahavira Hall, Bell Tower, the Temple of Monk King, and the Han Stele Gallery. The Mahavira Hall in the Iron Pagoda Temple was originally built in the first year of Huangjian of the Northern Qi Dynasty (560 AD). It is a single-eave hip-and-gable style building with five bays, spanning 19 meters in width and 12.5 meters in depth, and standing about 12 meters tall. It features upturned eaves, supported by bracket sets, and houses ten sky-reaching wooden pillars. The front porch has four octagonal stone pillars, which were replaced during the Ming Dynasty. These stone pillars are inscribed with couplets, and the architectural style is characteristic of the Song Dynasty. The museum currently hosts four large permanent exhibitions: the historical exhibition “History Through the Ages,” which focuses on ancestral culture, Zoulu culture, Confucian culture, and the culture of Outlaws of the Marsh; the “Collection of Cultural Relics” exhibition, showcasing the museum’s finest artifacts; the “Capital of China’s Grand Canal – Jining” exhibition, which highlights the historical significance of the Grand Canal running through Jining and aims to promote canal culture and revitalize Jining’s economy; and the “Calligraphy Art Exhibition” by the renowned modern calligrapher Zhu Fukan.

　　The museum houses nearly 10,000 cultural relics, spanning more than ten categories including bronzes, pottery, porcelain, jade artifacts, paintings, and calligraphy. Its collection includes extremely precious items such as Han Dynasty steles, Han Dynasty relief carvings, Yueshi culture pottery, Spring and Autumn Dynasty book-carving tools, Yuan Dynasty costumes, and iron cannons from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, all of which are of high cultural value. Four permanent exhibitions — including the “Exhibition of Ancient Jining Civilization” — are open to visitors year-round. Here, guests can not only view the exhibitions but also explore the ancient architecture, climb the tower to ring the bell, and take photos at the base of the pagoda.

　　Customer Service Hotline: 0537-2215811

　　Address: No. 38, Guhuai Road, Jining City

　　Business Hours: 8:30–11:00, 14:00–16:00 (Closed on Mondays)

　　Source: Shandong Provincial Tourism Development Commission