Hubei Provincial Museum

Background

The Hubei Provincial Museum is on Donghu Road in Wuchang District, Wuhan, on the west shore of East Lake. Its collection numbers more than 400,000 items, over a thousand of them first-class relics, and it is best known for Chu culture artifacts excavated across Hubei. The set of 65 chime bells of Marquis Yi of Zeng is the outstanding example of a bronze ritual-music ensemble from the early Warring States period, and the intricate zun vessel and pan basin of Marquis Yi came from the same tomb; the Sword of Goujian is still free of rust after more than two thousand years. Other treasures include the drum stand with tiger base and birds, the Guodian Chu bamboo slips and the Qin bamboo slips from Shuihudi in Yunmeng. The museum was founded in 1953, moved to its present site by East Lake in 1960 and took its current name in 1963. The new South Hall opened in 2021, with several themed galleries and a chime-bell performance hall. The permanent exhibition Eight Hundred Years of Chu gives a full account of the state of Chu.

Local customs

• Start with the chime bells and the zun-pan in the Marquis Yi tomb gallery, then see the Sword of Goujian
• learn the history of Chu in the Eight Hundred Years of Chu gallery
• catch a performance on replica chime bells to hear the music of pre-Qin China
• afterward, stroll along East Lake and visit the neighboring Hubei Museum of Art.

Travel tips

• Allow half a day to a full day
• the popular galleries get crowded, so avoid peak times. Admission is free, but you must book in advance and bring valid ID
• for booking procedures and closing days (usually Mondays), follow the official announcements. The museum offers guided tours and a gift shop.
• Take the metro or a bus to the Donghu Road area
• parking is tight on holidays, so public transport is the better choice. The indoor exhibitions are unaffected by weather, so any season works
• in spring and autumn, combine your visit with flowers and walks by East Lake. Summer holidays and public holidays are peak times, so book ahead.