Zhejiang Provincial Museum

The main entrance of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum Zhijiang Branch is located at the center of the Zhijiang Cultural Center building complex and is the main access point for the public. A large plaza is set up in front of the main entrance, with an abstract sculpture in the center of the plaza inspired by the Liangzhu jade cong, implying the long history of Zhejiang civilization. After entering the main entrance, there is a three-story-high central lobby with an area of about 2,000 square meters, with a fully glazed curtain wall design on the top, sufficient natural light, and floor paved with bluestone slabs from Zhejiang. A spiral staircase in the center of the lobby connects the exhibition halls on the first to third floors. The Zhijiang Branch officially opened to the public in 2023, with a construction area of about 100,000 square meters, making it the largest and most advanced comprehensive museum in Zhejiang Province, with a collection of over 100,000 cultural relics, including over 10,000 precious cultural relics. Note: a security check channel is set up at the main entrance.

The Zhejiang Historical and Cultural Exhibition Hall is located on the first and second floors of the Zhijiang Branch, with an exhibition area of about 5,000 square meters, making it the largest and most content-rich permanent exhibition in the Zhijiang Branch. The exhibition is organized by time and divided into six sections: "Dawn of Civilization — Prehistoric Zhejiang," "Zhejiang in the Bronze Age," "Zhejiang in Qin, Han, and Six Dynasties," "Zhejiang in Sui, Tang, and Song," "Zhejiang in Yuan, Ming, and Qing," and "Modern Zhejiang." The most famous exhibits include: Hemudu culture's artificially cultivated rice remains, Liangzhu culture's jade cong and bi, bronze swords and ding of the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period, Tang Dynasty Yue kiln celadon, a copy of "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" from the Northern Song Dynasty, the remaining section of Huang Gongwang's "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" from the Yuan Dynasty (on display during special periods), and Ming Dynasty Zhejiang school paintings. The exhibition uses a large number of multimedia interactive facilities.

The Celadon Culture Hall is located on the second floor of the Zhijiang Branch, with an exhibition area of about 2,000 square meters, and is one of the most characteristic thematic exhibitions in the Zhijiang Branch. Zhejiang is the birthplace and main producing area of Chinese celadon. The hall exhibits over 500 celadon masterpieces, spanning from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), including over 50 national first-class cultural relics. The most famous exhibits include: Eastern Han Yue kiln celadon jar, Tang Dynasty Yue kiln "mi-se" (secret color) porcelain bowl, Northern Song Ru kiln sky-blue glaze dish, Southern Song Guan kiln vase with tube-shaped ears, Yuan Dynasty Longquan kiln celadon large vase, and Ming Dynasty Chuzhou kiln celadon. The exhibition uses modern display methods such as simulated kilns, dynamic displays of porcelain-making processes, and interactive screens for celadon glaze color comparison.

The Marine Culture Hall is located on the third floor of the Zhijiang Branch, with an exhibition area of about 1,500 square meters, and is a unique new exhibition in the Zhijiang Branch. Zhejiang is one of the provinces with the longest coastline in China, with a long-standing marine culture. The exhibition in the hall is divided into four sections: "Zhejiang Coastline and Islands," "Maritime Silk Road and Zhejiang," "Marine Resources and Ecological Protection," and "Managing the Ocean and Zhejiang's Future." The most exciting section is "Maritime Silk Road and Zhejiang," which displays the important position of port cities such as Ningbo (Mingzhou), Wenzhou, and Hangzhou in the ancient Maritime Silk Road. The hall also has a 360-degree circular screen cinema that regularly plays marine-themed documentaries. For Zhejiang as a strong maritime province, this exhibition is of great significance for understanding Zhejiang's marine strategy and marine economy.

The Calligraphy and Painting Hall is located on the third floor of the Zhijiang Branch, with an exhibition area of about 1,800 square meters, and is the most important art-themed exhibition in the Zhijiang Branch. Zhejiang is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese calligraphy and painting art, producing countless calligraphy and painting masters throughout history. The collections of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall cover over 1,000 years of history from the Tang Dynasty to modern times, including over 100 national first-class cultural relics. The permanent exhibition displays in chronological order, including: "Tang and Five Dynasties Calligraphy and Painting," "Song and Yuan Calligraphy and Painting," "Ming Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting," "Qing Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting," and "Modern Calligraphy and Painting." The remaining section of Huang Gongwang's "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" and Zhao Mengfu's "Autumn Colors on the Qiao and Hua Mountains" (copy) are among the representative works. The exhibition lighting uses professional-grade calligraphy and painting exhibition lighting.

The Leifeng Pagoda Cultural Relics Hall is located on the second floor of the Zhijiang Branch and is a professional exhibition hall established on the basis of the 2002 excavation of the rebuilt Leifeng Pagoda. In 2002, the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology conducted a scientific excavation of the collapsed Leifeng Pagoda's underground palace, unearthing over 100 precious cultural relics including a pure silver Ashoka stupa, a gilt dragon-lotus base silver coffin, jade artifacts, agate, crystal, and bronze mirrors, which shocked the archaeological community. The most famous and precious exhibit is the "Pure Silver Ashoka Stupa," 35 cm high and weighing about 1,000 grams, with an openwork body enclosing a gold coffin containing Buddha's hair relic. It is the only Pure Silver Ashoka Stupa of the Wuyue Kingdom with an exact dated inscription discovered so far. In addition, traditional Buddhist cultural relics such as the gilt dragon-lotus base silver coffin, jade Guanyin statue, and agate prayer beads also have great historical and artistic value. The exhibition comprehensively recreates the entire process of the Leifeng Pagoda underground palace excavation.

The Zhijiang Branch Digital Experience Hall is located on the B1 level of the Zhijiang Branch, with an area of about 1,000 square meters, and is the most innovative and technology-rich exhibition space in the Zhijiang Branch. The experience hall is divided into five functional areas: "VR Exploration Zone," "AR Interaction Zone," "Holographic Theater," "Digital Cultural Relics Restoration Room," and "Metaverse Cultural Space." In the "VR Exploration Zone," visitors can put on VR glasses and travel back to historical scenes such as Liangzhu Ancient City, Southern Song Lin'an City, and Qing Dynasty West Lake. The "AR Interaction Zone" uses AR technology to bring static cultural relics to "life." The "Holographic Theater" uses holographic projection technology to display three-dimensional historical figures and scenes without wearing any equipment. The "Digital Cultural Relics Restoration Room" lets visitors experience the process of cultural relic restoration. The "Metaverse Cultural Space" is a digital art display platform based on blockchain technology. The Digital Experience Hall is especially suitable for teenagers.

The Zhijiang Branch Cultural Creative Shop is located on the right side of the museum's main lobby, with an area of about 500 square meters, and is the official cultural creative product retail space of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum Zhijiang Branch. The shop's products are designed with the concept of "bringing cultural relics to life," drawing inspiration from the museum's collection of over 100,000 cultural relics. Over 20 series and more than 1,000 cultural creative products have been developed. The best-selling products include: the "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" series (folding fans, bookmarks, notebooks, phone cases, silk scarves, etc.), the "Liangzhu Jade Cong" series (USB drives, power banks, jewelry, ornaments, etc.), the "Celadon" series (tea cups, tea sets, aromatherapy, lamps, etc.), and the "Leifeng Pagoda Ashoka Stupa" series (jewelry boxes, bottle openers, keychains, etc.). The "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" folding fan and "Liangzhu Jade Cong" USB drive are the two highest-selling products. All products come with exquisite packaging.

The Zhijiang Branch Special Exhibition Hall is located on the north side of the first floor of the Zhijiang Branch, with an exhibition area of about 3,000 square meters, and is the core space for the Zhijiang Branch to host high-level temporary special exhibitions from China and abroad. The special exhibition hall is constructed to world-class standards, equipped with advanced facilities including adjustable professional exhibition lighting, constant temperature and humidity systems, security monitoring systems, and multimedia guide equipment. Since the opening of the Zhijiang Branch in 2023, the special exhibition hall has successfully hosted several influential special exhibitions including "Silk Road Rainbow Costumes — Dunhuang Clothing Art Exhibition," "Song Charm — Song Dynasty Cultural Relics Grand Exhibition," "Longquan in the World — Longquan Celadon Special Exhibition," and "Impressionist Masters — Monet and His Friends." Special exhibitions usually last 2-3 months. During the opening period of some special exhibitions, supporting activities such as academic seminars, expert guided tours, family workshops, and cultural creative markets are also held.

Zhijiang Cultural Center is located in the Zhijiang area of Hangzhou's Xihu District and officially opened to the public in 2023 in its entirety. With a total construction area of about 320,000 square meters, it is the largest cultural infrastructure project in Zhejiang Province's history in terms of investment, specification, and functionality. The cultural center consists of four large cultural buildings in a "four-leaf clover" layout: Zhejiang Provincial Museum Zhijiang Branch (located in the center, largest in scale), Zhejiang Library Zhijiang Branch (located on the east side, the largest public library in Zhejiang), Zhejiang Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum (located on the south side, displaying Zhejiang's intangible cultural heritage), and Zhejiang Literature Museum (located on the west side, displaying the development history of Zhejiang literature). The four buildings are connected to each other via an underground commercial street and aerial walkways. The cultural center also has supporting facilities such as Zhiduo Book House (24-hour bookstore), cultural creative markets, dining streets, and family activity areas. Recommended visiting route: visit Zhejiang Provincial Museum Zhijiang Branch in the morning, dine in the dining street at noon, visit Zhejiang Library and Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum in the afternoon.