Cultural Treasures—A Cultural Feast Across"One Museum,Six Halls"
The most distinctive feature of the Nanjing Museum lies in its"One Museum,Six Halls"layout.The History Hall,Special Exhibition Hall,Art Gallery,Digital Hall,Republic of China Hall,and Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall each possess their own unique characteristics;yet,they are interconnected via an underground network,allowing visitors to traverse through time and space to experience the profound depth and breadth of Chinese civilization.
1.The History Hall:A Time Corridor of Ancient Jiangsu Civilization
Housed within the Old Main Hall,the History Hall features a permanent exhibition titled"Ancient Civilization of Jiangsu."This comprehensive exhibition presents the full trajectory of civilizational development in the Jiangsu region,spanning from the prehistoric era through the Ming and Qing dynasties.Stepping into the exhibition hall feels akin to opening a weighty volume of history:
Neolithic"Jade Bead Necklace":A masterpiece of Liangzhu Culture jade craftsmanship—lustrous and smooth as fine grease—bearing witness to the aesthetics and spiritual beliefs of the early inhabitants of the lower Yangtze River region.
Warring States Period"Bronze Jar with Gold and Silver Inlay":Featuring intricate and exquisite workmanship,this piece showcases magnificent patterns formed by inlaid gold and silver threads,standing as a pinnacle achievement of pre-Qin bronze artistry.
Western Han Dynasty"Golden Beast":Measuring 17.5 cm in length,16 cm in width,and 10.2 cm in height,and weighing a staggering 9,100 grams with a gold purity of 99%,this artifact is the heaviest ancient gold casting ever unearthed in my country,hailed as a"Guardian Treasure."Depicted with a crouching posture,a coiled body,and an alert demeanor,the Golden Beast was discovered resting atop a bronze jar;traces of green patina on its neck serve as a tangible link to the opulence and mystery of an era spanning over two millennia.
Eastern Han Dynasty"Bronze Ox Lamp with Silver Inlay":Ingeniously conceived,the hollow belly of the ox serves as a reservoir for water,allowing smoke and soot to be filtered and dissolved within the liquid—a testament to the environmental wisdom of the Han Dynasty.
Southern Dynasties"Molded Brick Relief of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove and Rong Qiqi":This relief depicts the"Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove"alongside the renowned Spring and Autumn Period scholar Rong Qiqi within a single composition;featuring figures in diverse postures,it serves as an invaluable physical artifact for the study of the distinctive cultural ethos of the Wei and Jin Dynasties.
Ming Dynasty"Meiping Vase with Underglaze Red'Three Friends of Winter'Motif":Distinguished by its pure,vibrant underglaze red glaze,this vase features elegant and noble motifs of pine,bamboo,and plum blossoms—collectively known as the"Three Friends of Winter"—and is recognized as a national treasure of the highest caliber.
2.Special Exhibition Hall:A Thematic Gallery Gathering Rare Treasures
The Special Exhibition Hall is dedicated to curating high-caliber exhibitions,featuring both major touring exhibitions introduced from home and abroad,as well as thematic showcases drawn from the museum's own collection of rare artifacts.In July 2025,the Nanjing Museum will launch a key annual initiative titled"Gazing Upon the World:The Kunyu Wanguo Quantu—A Large-Scale Immersive VR Exhibition."Centered on the Ming Dynasty Chinese world map Kunyu Wanguo Quantu(A Map of the Myriad Countries of the World)as its core intellectual property,this exhibition utilizes 720-degree panoramic immersive VR technology to allow visitors to physically"step into"the cartographic world of over 400 years ago.This map,jointly created by the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci and the Ming Dynasty scholar Li Zhizao,stands as the world's oldest,most complete,and most content-rich extant world map in the Chinese language.
3.The Art Gallery:A Pantheon of Calligraphy and Painting Masterpieces
The Art Gallery organizes its exhibits by artistic medium and category,featuring eleven specialized halls dedicated to treasures,jade,bronzeware,Ming and Qing porcelain,calligraphy and painting,ceramics,lacquerware,and textiles.Among these,the calligraphy and painting collection is particularly distinctive,featuring comprehensive series and groupings of works by renowned masters—including the"Eight Eccentrics of Yangzhou,"the"Wumen School,"the"Jinling School,"as well as individual greats such as Fu Baoshi and Chen Zhifo.The gallery hosts thematic exhibitions throughout the year;for instance,the"Series on Ancient Chinese Women:Enduring Love Beneath the Pines—The Artistic and Intellectual Ingenuity of Talented Women in the Ming and Qing Dynasties"showcases the calligraphy and paintings of celebrated courtesans from the Qinhuai River district—such as Ma Shouzhen,Dong Xiaowan,and Liu Rushi—thereby highlighting the refined sensibilities and artistic achievements of these talented women of the Ming and Qing eras.
4.The Republic of China Hall:A Journey Through Time to the Old Capital
The Republic of China Hall is the nation's first immersive exhibition space dedicated to the"recreation of urban historical landscapes."Here,the streets and alleyways of Nanjing during the Republic of China era have been faithfully reconstructed:a train station,an old post office,a newspaper agency,a teahouse,a barbershop,a qipao boutique,and more.Visitors can mail a letter at the old post office,listen to a performance of Baiju or Kunqu opera at the teahouse,try on period costumes for souvenir photos,and even sample pastries and snacks featuring authentic Republic-era flavors."A perfect recreation—it’s truly a photographer's paradise!"—the Republic of China Hall has become the Nanjing Museum's most popular"must-visit"destination,transforming the visitor experience"from mere observation into lived reality"and offering an immersive journey into the bustling street life of Jinling(Nanjing)from a century ago.
5.The Digital Hall:A Dialogue Between Past and Present,Empowered by Technology
Combining online access with on-site experiences,the Digital Hall employs interactive technologies to offer visitors a brand-new way to engage with ancient civilizations.The hall is equipped with various interactive installations—including touchscreens,projection mapping,and virtual reality systems—that bring cultural relics to life and make history a tangible,tactile experience.It is an especially ideal destination for families with children,allowing young visitors to acquire historical knowledge through engaging games and activities.
6.Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall:Living Traditions and Masterful Craftsmanship
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall presents items from Jiangsu Province’s national-level list of intangible cultural heritage in a dynamic,living format,inviting designated inheritors to demonstrate traditional techniques on-site.Visitors can observe exquisite crafts—such as Nanjing Yunjin(Cloud Brocade)weaving,Yixing purple clay pottery making,and Suzhou embroidery—up close,and even participate in interactive experiences.The Old Teahouse regularly hosts performances of intangible cultural heritage arts—including Pingtan(storytelling and ballad singing),Kunqu Opera,and Baiju(Nanjing folk ballads)—and is open to the public free of charge(tickets must be collected on-site).
Photography Tips:
Best Panoramic Viewpoint:The plaza in front of the Old Main Hall;offers a perfect vantage point to capture the majestic silhouette of the Liao-style hall against the skyline of Purple Mountain.
Portraiture in the Republic of China Hall:The Old Teahouse and the entrance to the Qipao shop are ideal spots;applying a vintage filter yields exceptionally high-quality,atmospheric shots.
Close-ups of Artifacts:In the History Hall,the"Golden Beast"and the"Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove"brick relief are must-photograph national treasures.
Drone usage is strictly prohibited over the museum grounds.
Architectural Marvel:The Timeless Grandeur of the Liao-Style Hall
The Old Main Hall of the Nanjing Museum is,in itself,a designated immovable cultural relic.This structure,modeled after the architectural style of the Liao Dynasty,was originally designed by Xu Jingzhi and subsequently refined and perfected under the guidance of Liang Sicheng and Liu Dunzhen.Characterized by a gently sloping roofline and robust beams,columns,and dougong(bracket sets),the building appears grand yet never ponderous,embodying the bold and vigorous aesthetic typical of Liao and Song Dynasty architecture.The roof ridge features a traditional arrangement of decorative elements—including the"Immortal Riding a Phoenix,"three Zoushou(mythical beasts),and Chuishou(hanging beasts)—while the Wadang(eave tiles),Chiwen(ridge-end beasts),and other components are exquisitely crafted with an air of ancient simplicity.
Even more remarkable is the fact that,while the Old Main Hall presents the exterior appearance of traditional timber-frame architecture,it was actually constructed using reinforced concrete.This design embodies the exploratory spirit of China’s first generation of architects in the 1930s—a philosophy encapsulated by the maxim"Chinese learning as the essence,Western learning for utility."During the museum's renovation and expansion project between 2009 and 2013,the engineering team undertook the monumental task of lifting the entire Old Main Hall by three meters.Utilizing over 400 hydraulic jacks positioned beneath its 161 supporting columns,they slowly raised the massive structure,subsequently extending the columns with an astonishingly precise margin of error of less than 0.01 millimeters.This daring feat of engineering resolved a long-standing structural anomaly—where the southern end of the central axis sat higher than the northern end—thereby allowing the Old Main Hall’s majestic silhouette to be fully and perfectly revealed.
Architectural Tour:Looking south from the Main Hall,Zhongshan East Road bustles with traffic;gazing north,Purple Mountain appears lush and verdant.We recommend sitting quietly for a few moments in the plaza in front of the hall—ideally at dawn or dusk—to experience the dialogue between this"breathing ancient structure"and the modern city.
