First constructed to house the unearthed relics and remnants of the ancient city of Wuxi, the Wuxi Museum is an iconic cultural institution in China. Tucked away within the breathtaking environs of Heliekou this vast exhibition space was first opened to the public in 1958. A year after the site was prepared to house and showcase various findings discovered in the exploration of Wuxi City. Housed within the Zhaozhong Memorial Hall in its initial years the venue was later moved to the contemporary structure in Heliekou. Its new location was opened to the public in 1986 and the polygon shape building with this distinctly modern flavour lends itself remarkably to the museum’s collection which dates back thousands of years.
Home to more than 10,000 individual items the museum is perhaps best known for its vast catalogue of ancient ceramic ware, stone items, carvings, paintings and jade masterpieces. Lacquer works and articles in gold and silver are other prized possessions of the museum which also boasts an extensive collection of wooden items, calligraphy and embroidered garments. The Class One collection showcases more than 100 individual pieces of which most are historic remnants such as paintings, scrolls of calligraphy and other precious items from the bygone era.
Art lovers must explore the mesmerizing Zhou Peiyuan’s Painting Collection Hall as well as the Zhou Huaimin’s Painting Collection Hall which is situated on the new northern wing of the museum where masterpieces by ancient painters decorate the walls and call out to future generations. Celebrating the rich cultural heritage of modern day Wuxi as well as Wuxi of centuries past the museum mainly focuses on the history of the city with more than 500 exhibits scattered across its environs with supportive charts, photographs, maps and models. The showcases document to growth of Wuxi and its evolution over the centuries into becoming one of the founding cities of China.
Having hosted over 100 exhibitions in its history with Wuxi Museum regularly conducts engaging exhibitions relating to coins, paintings, handicrafts, Huishan Mountain clay sculptures and calligraphy styles of the ancient city for the benefit of visitors and locals alike.
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