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Changsha Museum

Located on the east side of the Changsha Riverside Culture Park, Kaifu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province, the Changsha Museum is five stories high with a building area of 24,000 square meters (nearly 6 square acres). The exterior takes the shape of the treasure of the museum - a Bronze Nao with an elephant pattern. There are three ancient history and culture exhibition halls on the first floor. Modern history and culture exhibition halls and special exhibition halls are on the second floor.

The Changsha Museum has a collection of about 50,000 pieces of cultural relics, covering all kinds of objects from the Paleolithic age (3 million to 10,000 years ago) to modern times that bear witness to the development of Changsha’s history and culture. The bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1600-256 BC), jade wares of the Chu and Han Dynasties (1042 BC-220), porcelain wares of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and modern cultural relics are all gems of the museum. The must see rare treasures include the Bronze Nao with an elephant pattern, an agate seal inscribed with “Cao Zhuan,” and an openwork jade ring with a dragon and phoenix design. In addition, there is a long corridor, displaying poems and couplets helping you to enjoy the charm of ancient Chinese culture.

Permanent Exhibitions

This museum is the first exhibition that systematically shows the history and culture of Changsha. It has four exhibition halls, covering an area of more than 5,000 square meters (1.2 square acres), including three ancient history halls and one modern history hall.

More than 1,250 pieces of cultural relics are on display and there are over 2,400 pieces of various materials and pictures that show the ancient history and culture of Changsha. The contents of the exhibitions are mainly based on major historical events, famous historical figures and the development and changes of Changsha City. The museum divided into two parts based on the age of the relics fully shows Changsha’s cultural deposits, humanistic spirit, and city identity.

Part 1: Glorious History and Culture along Xiang River – Ancient Changsha City

The first part of Changsha’s history and culture is divided into six exhibition areas. These exhibits show the development of Changsha over 200,000 years: Paleolithic age, the southern expedition of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the political development of the Chu State and Han Dynasty, the prosperity of the Tang and Song Dynasties, and establishment of the center of the Hunan Province in the early Qing Dynasty.

Location: Exhibition Halls 1, 2 and 3 on the first floor.
Selected Exhibits: Bronze Nao with elephant pattern, Bronze box with dragon and phoenix design, Bronze sword with sheath, Agate seal inscribed with “Cao Zhuan”, openwork jade ring with dragon and phoenix design.

Part 2: Luminaries, Revolutions and Rising Modern Changsha City

The second part of the exhibitions showcases the history of Changsha City in modern times. It consists of 7 events, covering the important changes and contributions of Changsha in the last one hundred years: including advocating beneficial knowledge, leading the New Deal, the first response of the Revolution of 1911, first statement about the founding of the party, the Autumn Harvest Uprising, uniting against humiliation, and peaceful liberation.

Location: Exhibition Hall No.4 on the second floor.
Selected Exhibits: Collected Poems of Martyrs in the Boxer Rebellion (manuscript).

Boutique Collection

The Bronze Nao with an Elephant Pattern: The treasure of the Changsha Museum and the largest piece of bronze Nao of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties found in China so far. It is carved with a pair of elephants raising their trunks and colliding with each other.

Openwork Jade Ring with Dragon and Phoenix Design: Unearthed in Dou Bi Mountain, Changsha, in 1975, this jade ring is one of the finest jade rings from the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8).

Agate Seal Inscribed with “Cao Zhuan”: This seal is square in shape with the words “Cao Zhuan” and “Qie Zhuan” engraved on it. With its polished and smooth surface, this agate seal is considered to be the best Han Seal.

How to Get to Changsha Museum

Metro:
Take line 1 to Bei Chen Delta Station.

Bus:
1. Take bus line 520, 804 to Riverside Culture Park Station.
2. Take bus line 2, 357, 906 to Bei Chen Times Square Station.
* Free parking: cars can enter from Entrance No.4 of the park.

Entrance	1. The museum issues 4,000 free tickets a day. Only one ticket is issued for by each passport. 2. Group tours (less than 100 people) should be booked 1 day in advance between 09:00 and 16:00.
Opening Hours	Tuesday-Sunday: 9:00-17:00, no one is admitted after 16:30. Closed on Mondays, Lunar New Year’s eve, and the first and second day of the first lunar month except for national holidays.
Recommended Visiting Time	2 - 3 hours

- Last updated on Dec. 16, 2020 -