Jiangxi Provincial Museum

Background

The Jiangxi Provincial Museum traces its origins to a preparatory office set up in 1953. It opened at its old building on Bayi Square in 1961, moved to the Xinzhou Road building in 1999, and opened its new building in Honggutan on 27 September 2020. The new museum, on Ganjiang North Avenue, is one of the three venues of the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Centre; modelled on a square box and meant to evoke a "treasure box", it has 6 floors and about 28,000 square metres of exhibition space. Its collection is strongest in bronzes and ceramics: Shang dynasty bronzes unearthed at Dayangzhou in Xingan reveal the distinctive bronze culture of the Gan River basin, while porcelain from famous kilns of successive dynasties tells the story of Jiangxi as a centre of China's porcelain industry. It is a National First-Class Museum.

Local customs

The new building's galleries are spread over several floors, with permanent exhibitions on themes such as ancient civilization, ceramics, revolutionary history and nature, plus occasional special exhibitions. Nanchang locals often bring their children on weekends to see the dinosaur and nature galleries. The museum is large, so check which galleries are open that day at the first-floor service desk or the official guide first, then choose your highlights.

Religion & beliefs

• The museum holds Buddhist statues, tomb burial objects and other relics
• although they are displayed in galleries, please remain respectful: do not make joking gestures with the statues and figurines for photos, and keep your voice low during commentary. The burial objects excavated from tombs were originally grave goods, so visit with respect for the people of the past and do not fool around in front of the display cases.

Rules that apply here

Travel tips

• Allow 2–3 hours. The new museum is on Ganjiang North Avenue in Honggutan District on the west bank of the Gan River, within walking distance of nearby metro stations, and a convenient taxi ride across the river from the Tengwang Pavilion area. Ticket policies, booking methods, opening hours and closing days are as announced on the Jiangxi Provincial Museum's official website and official WeChat account
• book ahead for holidays. Note that the current museum is in Honggutan, not at the old Xinzhou Road site. You can combine it with the Tengwang Pavilion and the Nanchang August First Uprising Memorial Hall across the river, and Qiushui Square by the river, for a day in Nanchang. The new museum is large with many floors, so check the guide map first and pick two or three key galleries
• there are rest areas inside, and with elderly people or children you can visit in stages. It is windy by the Gan River, so dress warmly in winter.