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Jingzhou Museum

Built in 1985, the Jingzhou Museum is a comprehensive museum integrating the exhibition, education, research and protection of cultural relics. The museum is popular with visitors from China and abroad. Located in one of China' s historic city- Jingzhou, the museum is famous for its collection of distinct cultural and archeological relics.

Covering an area of about 50,000 square meters (12.4 acres) with a floor area of about 23,000 square meters (5.7 acres), the museum has a display hall and a collection hall with about 130,000 pieces of historical items.

The display hall has two themed exhibitions: the Exhibition of Primitive Cultures from the regions of the Yangtze River and the Han River and the Exhibition of the Chu & Han Cultures from the same regions. The latter was selected as one of the top ten exhibitions of Chinese historical relics in 1999. There are also special exhibits from time to time. Examples are the display of bamboo and wooden documents and the display of excavated items from ancient graves.

The collection hall at the backyard features three major themed exhibitions. One is an exhibit of the corpse of a man and the burial objects of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24). These were excavated from the site of the Chu Kingdom in 1975. Due to the depth of burial and the anoxic condition, the corpse was well preserved. The characters found in the tomb recorded that the man was a high official under the reign of the Wen Emperor of the Western Han Dynasty and that the exact year of his funeral was 167 BC.

Ancient lacquer work exhibition is another highlight of the museum. Opened to the public in 1997, it is the only themed exhibition focusing on lacquer ware in China . Most of these were from the Warring States Period (220-280), the Qin Dynasty (221-207) and the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220). Objects made of various materials such as wood and ceramics were lacquered and used in a wide range of functions: from daily utensils, bowls, drinking vessels, to weapons and talisman.

Brocades and silks excavated from a tomb of the Chu Kingdom in 1982 are displayed in this hall. The silks are all from the late Warring States Period but showed very high levels of artistry and craftsmanship. There are clothes, trousers, quilts and ribbons with exquisite designs and patterns. Some of the silks are as thin as cicada wings and some with colors as fresh as if newly painted. The collection of ancient silks in Jingzhou Museum is the largest in China .

In recent years, the Jingzhou Museum has developed a new exhibition of the music played during the Chu Kingdom . As an independent part of the influential culture during the Chu and Han Dynasties, music from that period helps to give us another perspective.