Nanjing Museum

　　Located in the southern foot of Zijin Mountain in Nanjing and north of Zhongshan Gate, Nanjing Museum covers an area of more than 70,000 square meters and is the first large-scale comprehensive museum funded and constructed by the state. It has been rated as “Outstanding National Organization for Public Cultural Facilities Management”, “National First-Class Museum”, “National Museum Jointly Built by Central and Local Governments”, and “National Demonstration Base for Patriotism Education”.

　　I. History

　　In 1933, under the initiative of Mr. Cai Yuanpei, a modern democratic revolutionary and educator in China, the National Government of Republic of China established the Preparatory Office of “National Central Museum”. Mr. Cai Yuanpei became the first chairman of the council of the office, and Mr. Li Ji and Hang Liwu took over the work of the preparatory office successively. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was still named “National Central Museum”  administered by the Ministry of Culture. In March 1950, it was renamed as “National Nanjing Museum”, first belonging to the Cultural Heritage Administration Bureau under the Ministry of Culture and later to the Ministry of Culture of East China Administrative Commission. From 1954, it was under the leadership of Jiangsu Provincial Culture Bureau. In 1959, Nanjing Museum, Jiangsu Provincial Museum, and Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Heritage Management Committee merged their work in one joint office, and it was still named “Nanjing Museum”. Since its establishment, successive directors have been Xu Pingyu, Zeng Zhaoyu, Yao Qian, Liang Baiquan, Xu Huping, and Gong Liang.

　　II. Construction

　　The Preparatory Office originally planned to build three galleries of Humanities, Crafts and Nature. Construction began in 1936 and was designed by the then-known architect Xu Jingzhi. The plan was later modified into an architecture model of Palace Hall of the Liao Dynasty under the guidance of Mr. Liang Sicheng and Liu Dunzhen. Construction was suspended in 1937 due to the outbreak of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and until the early 1950s, only Humanities Gallery was built. The main hall is quaint, majestic and magnificent, and have become Nanjing’s iconic historical and cultural landscape. It is now a provincial cultural relics preservation unit. The new Arts Gallery built on the west side of the Main Hall in 1999 continued the original architectural form.

　　In 2009, under the great concern of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government, the second phase of Nanjing Museum’s reconstruction and expansion project was started and completed in 2013. The total construction area was 84,800 square meters, and the exhibition area was 26,000 square meters. The renovation and expansion followed the principle of “combining new and old buildings, combining the overground and the underground,” retaining the skyline with the Zijin Mountain as the background and the History Gallery with the Main Hall as the main body. At the same time, Arts Gallery is rebuilt, and Themed exhibitions Gallery, Republic of China Gallery, Digital Gallery and Intangible Cultural Heritage Gallery were added, forming the “Six Galleries in One Museum” pattern. The architectural layout embodies the concept of “gorgeous and elegant decoration with treasures inside”, which forms a visual balance in front-back relationship, cornice height, material color and detailed decoration. The overall style has both traditional elements and modern atmosphere which are harmoniously integrated and complement each other.

　　III. Main Collections

　　Nanjing Museum now holds more than 430,000 pieces (sets) of various collections, ranging from the Paleolithic Period to present day both of national and regional value. There are palace legacies, archaeological excavations, acquisitions and donations, all of which are treasures and excellent works of each dynasty, and compose a huge treasure house of Chinese culture and arts. Bronze ware, jade, ceramics, gold and silver utensils, handicrafts made of bamboo, wood, ivory and rhinoceros horns, lacquerware, silk embroidery, calligraphies and paintings, seals, inscriptions and other kinds are all available. Each variety forms a chronological system of its own and has been the most direct witness to the historical development of Chinese civilization throughout thousands of years. Among them, the “Jade Necklace” of the Neolithic Age, “Gold and Silver Inlaid Copper Pot” and “Gold Ying Yuan” in the Warring States Period, “Gold Beast” in the Western Han Dynasty, “Seal of Prince of Guangling”, “Bull-shaped Lamp Inlaid with Silver” and “Gilded Bronze Case for Ink Slab” in the Eastern Han Dynasty, “Celadon Zun (Wine Vessel) with Mythological Creature Pattern” in the Western Jin Dynasty, “Brick Painting of Rong Qiqi and the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove”in the Southern Dynasty, and “Underglazed Red Plum Vase with Design of Pine, Bamboo and Prunus” in the Ming Dynasty are national-treasure-level cultural relics. In addition, “Yangzhou eight eccentric artists”, “Wu Painting School”, “Jinling Painting School”, Fu Baoshi, Chen Zhifo and other great artists’ paintings and calligraphy collections form unique systems separately.

　　IV. Organizational Structure and Staffing

　　Nanjing Museum is a  cultural institution for public welfare on a deputy department level. It affiliated institutes include: Jiangsu Provincial Archaeological Research Institute, Jiangsu Provincial Cultural Relics Preservation and Research Institute, Exhibition Art Research Institute, Social Services Department, Collections Department, Jiangsu Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute, Ancient Architecture Research Institute, Ancient Art Research Institute, Acquisitions Department, Library and Information Department, Cultural Creativity Department, Southeast Culture Editorial Office, Executive Office (including the Party and Mass section and the Cultural Exchange Center), Personnel and Organization Department, Planning and Finance Department, Academic Committee Secretariat, Security Department and Logistic Support Department. Also, Jiangsu Administration Office for National Cultural Relics Entry and Exit Audit is attached.

　　Until the end of 2013, there were 221 staff members in the whole museum, in which 143 had college degrees or above (29 graduate students and 55 undergraduates), and 81 had intermediate professional titles or above (23 high and 30 vice-high). There are also more than 300 contract workers.

　　V. Permanent Displays and Themed Exhibitions

　　Nanjing Museum has always carried out its mission of “promoting scientific research to supplement public education, and seeking increment in knowledge and wisdom through displays and exhibitions.” Even during Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, it held exhibitions such as Prehistoric Stoneware when it was moved to Li County, Sichuan Province temporarily. In 1948, it also held a joint exhibition with Palace Museum, receiving more than 100,000 visitors.

　　After the founding of New China, through more than 10 years, Nanjing Museum had held themed exhibitions such as From Ape to Man, Chinese Ceramics of Past Dynasties, History of Social Development, Ancient Arts of Great Motherland, Prehistoric Glazed Earthenware, Cultural Relics Unearthed from the Two Mausoleums of Southern Tang Dynasty, Nanjing Museum’s Decade. Since 1960, Jiangsu History became a permanent exhibition, in which nearly 3,000 archaeological and ethnographic cultural relics and historical documents systematically displayed political, economic, and cultural development of Jiangsu, marking a new model of combining temporary and permanent exhibitions. In 1989, the exhibition was updated to 5,000 Years of Civilization in the Lower Yangtze Region, and transferred general chronological displays into themed exhibitions.

　　The Arts Gallery, built in 1999, has a display area of   7,000 square meters. There are 11 themed exhibition halls devoted to treasures, jade ware, bronze ware, Ming and Qing porcelain, calligraphy and painting, ceramic, lacquer ware, and textiles and embroideries. These exhibitions, as a whole, were listed among “Top 10 National Fine Display of 1999”.

　　Nowadays, each gallery has its own emphasis. History Gallery has a permanent exhibition Jiangsu Ancient Civilization, which comprehensively presents the development of ancient civilization in the Jiangsu region. Arts Gallery categorizes the collections according to the materials of artworks. Themed exhibitions Gallery focuses on curating first-class high-quality exhibitions, including exhibitions from other museums and themed exhibitions concerning on treasures collected in Nanjing Museum. Intangible Cultural Heritage Gallery show National Intangible Cultural Heritage Projects of Jiangsu Province in a dynamic way, and inheritors are invited to demonstrate traditional crafts on-site. Republic of China Gallery focuses on showcasing social life-style of Nanjing people during the Republic of China period. Digital Gallery brings a new ancient civilization experience to audience through a combination of network technology and interaction on-site.

　　Besides permanent exhibitions, Nanjing Museum also hosts dozens of temporary exhibitions each year, including themed exhibitions of its collections and from other provinces and cities in China, and exhibitions of contemporary art masters’ works, and influential exhibitions on cultural relics and art from abroad.

　　VI. Academic Activities and Scientific Research

　　1. Early Nationwide Ethnology and Folklore Research

　　In the 1930s, a large number of well-known cultural scholars gathered in Nanjing Museum to conduct investigations and researches on historical sites, national costumes, handicrafts, languages   and characters, animals and plants in southwest and northwest of China, and collected a large number of cultural relics. Introduction to Far-eastern Stoneware, A Dictionary of Moxie Phonetic Characters, A Dictionary of Moxie Hieroglyphics, Illustration of Chinese Folk Crafts and other academic monographs have laid the academic foundation for the study of Chinese folklore.

　　2. Archaeological Surveys and Excavations

　　During the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, experts from Nanjing Museum hosted or participated in the excavation of Cliff Tomb in Pengshan, Sichuan, Yin Ruins in Anyang, Longshan Culture Site in Shandong, and Tombs of Qi family in Yangwawan, Gansu and inspected the cultural environment in Cang’er region, Yunnan.

　　In the early 1950s,  as the main component of the East China Cultural Relics Working Force, Nanjing Museum hosted or participated in the excavation of a number of cultural sites and tombs in Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong and other places. Zeng Zhaoyu, Yin Huanzhang, Zhao Qingfang and others led the excavation of a large number of tombs which had great impacts such as Two Mausoleums of Southern Tang Dynasty and Qingliangang Ruins.

　　After 1954, archaeological investigations and excavations were mainly focused in Jiangsu. Among them, Zhaolingshan Site in Kunshan (1991), Longqiuzhuang Site in Gaoyou (1993), City Ruins of Tang Dynasty in Yangzhou (1993), King Mausoleum of Chu of Western Han in Shizishan Mountain, Xuzhou (1995), Dacheng City Ruins of Song Dynasty in Yangzhou (1995), Sanxingcun Site in Jintan (1998), Gaochengdun Site in Jiangyin (1999), Tenghualuo Site in Lianyungang (2000), Noble Tomb of Yue State in Hongshan, Wuxi (2004), Mound Tomb Group of Zhou Dynasty in Jurong and Jintan (2005), Dongshancun Site in Zhangjiagang (2009 ), Mausoleum of King of Jiangdu in Dayun Mountain, Xuyi (2011), and Neolithic Site in Shunshanji, Sihong (2012), etc. were listed among Top Ten New Archaeological Discoveries in China. Tenghualuo Site, Sanxingcun Site, and Mound Tomb Group of Zhou Dynasty in Jurong and Jintan won the second and third prizes of National Field Archeology. Archaeological Report near Nanjing, Neolithic Sites in East China, Two Mausoleums of Southern Tang Dynasty, Excavation Report on Yinan Ancient Tomb with Painting Stones, North Yinyangying, Cliff Tomb of Han Dynasty in Pengshan, Sichuan, Huating Site in Xinyi: Excavation Report of A Neolithic Period Site, Tomb of Yue State in Hongshan, Wuxi, Capital City Site of Liang State in Pizhou and other major excavation reports, especially the naming of cultures such as “Qingliangang Culture” and “Hushu Culture” have aroused great repercussions in Chinese archaeological circles.

　　The Jiangnan Archaeological Station was set up in 2013. Its hardware level for scientific researches and experimental functions provide strong scientific research and logistical support for timely provision of cultural relic preservation parameters, formulation of scientific preservation plans, and improvement in preservation efficiency.

　　3. Technology Researches on Cultural Relics Preservation

　　Nanjing Museum started its technology researches on cultural relics preservation in the mid-to-late 1970s, and was responsible for the preservation of its collections and overground cultural relics in Jiangsu Province. In the past 10 years, 14 projects including “ancient paper preservation technology”, “NMF-1 antifungal agent” and “compound Chinese herbal medicine insecticide” have won awards at all levels. “Fragile paper mesh membrane reinforcement technology” is at the leading level domestically, and research results such as “new materials for bronze preservation” and “new termite control drugs” have been promoted nationwide. Five cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements, such as “a kind of multifunctional preservation equipment for paper relics” and “a method for isolating, protecting and repairing ancient buildings’ painted layers” have won national patents. The on-site preservation project of the King Mausoleum of Yue State in Yinshan Mountain, Shaoxing was included in the China’s Top Ten Heritage Maintenance Projects in 2011.

　　In 2014, Nanjing Museum was successfully declared key scientific research base for the preservation of paper relics by National Cultural Heritage Administration. The preservation laboratory for metal relics also begun to take shape.

　　4. Academic Activities and Journals

　　Jiangsu Provincial Museum Society, Archeology Society, Folklore Society, and Wu Culture Society are affiliated to Nanjing Museum, and carry out activities such as “prehistoric culture research in lower Yangtze River”, “research on A Dream of Red Mansions”, and “research on Wu culture”. Wenbo Newsletter, co-sponsored by these societies, has evolved into the publicly-released magazine Southeast Culture, which is now a core academic periodical in the fields of culture, museology, archaeology, and cultural heritage preservation, and has been listed in the “dual-effect” publication of “Chinese Journal Square” and Ten Excellent Social Science Journal in Jiangsu. In recent years, based in Jiangsu, Nanjing Museum also connected with other places nationwide. A series of academic activities on exhibition art, archaeological excavations, cultural relics preservation, and digitalization of museum resources have been hosted or undertaken by Nanjing Museum, which have strengthened communication with and learning from all walks of life. In addition, Nanjing Museum has undertaken research projects at all levels in the areas of ancient architecture research, large site preservation, ancient art research, and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.

　　5. Publicity

　　Since its establishment, Nanjing Museum has edited more than one hundred books on culture, museology and archeology. Among them, Museology written by Zeng Zhaoyu and Li Ji in the 1930s laid the foundation for Chinese museology. In recent years, more than 150 types of monographs and papers are published each year. Nanjing Museum Collections, Nanjing Museum Humanities Collection, Cultural Relics Preservation Science and Technology Series of Nanjing Museum, etc. have been published successively as planned. Basically, a promotion and publication system has been formed, including archaeological excavation reports, cultural preservation engineering reports, academic monographs, cultural relic catalogs (albums), research journals, and departmental yearbooks.

　　VII. Cultural Exchanges and Interlibrary Interactions

　　As early as the 1950s, Nanjing Museum participated in exhibitions organized by the state in Soviet Union, Germany and other countries. Since the Reform and Opening-up, international academic exchanges are increasing. Exhibits of Nanjing Museum have been held in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and other countries and regions to promote Chinese national culture and international communication. Scientific research cooperation with foreign academic institutes is also increasing. Quite a few joint researches have achieved remarkable results, including southward spread of Buddhism, archaeology studies of early paddy field sites, human bones in the south of the Yangtze River, and preservation of wooden relics unearthed from the Han tombs in Siyang. In recent years, the museum has signed cooperation agreements with cultural institutions home and abroad such as Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States, Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, Taipei Palace Museum, the Kyushu National Museum in Japan, and National Palace Museum of Korea, and has carried out a large number of academic and cultural activities.

　　VIII. Social Services Department and Educational Activities

　　Since 2008, Nanjing Museum has been open for free. The museum provides all-round services such as consultation, guidance, storage, renting of wheelchairs, strollers, umbrellas and audio guides, docent guides, WIFI, dining and shopping. Visitors can not only enjoy fine exhibitions, but also participate in cultural activities. They can also relax at leisure and truly achieve the purpose of gaining knowledge, improving mood, and shaping temperament.

　　Nanjing Museum is also a quality education base for many schools and troops stationed in Nanjing, and actively carries out various forms of social education activities. Our Festivals, Elements of Nanjing Museum, My Inspiration and other themed activities are held nearly a hundred times a year. Children’s Learning Room and the first digital experience hall for the disabled in China meet the needs of special groups. Regularly, we invite inheritors of intangible cultural heritage such as Nanjing paper-cut, Yangzhou engraved printing, Yixing red ware, Qinhuai lanterns, Nanjing gold foil to show the charm of intangible cultural heritage on-site. Performances such as puppet shows, acrobatics, Nanjing Baiju Opera, Suzhou Pingtan run in the Little Theater and Old Teahouse. All services or activities focus on the promotion of Nanjing Museum’s collections and the rise of public cultural relics preservation awareness, so that audiences, especially young people, can experience the essence of traditional Chinese culture in interaction.

　　In recent years, with the continuous acceleration of the construction of Chinese museums, Nanjing Museum’s concept and mode of operation and management are gradually changing from carrying on researches on “objects” (cultural relics) to serving “people” (audiences). Through refined exhibitions, high-quality services and multi-layer activities, the focus of Nanjing Museum has come back to the general goal of “serving the society and its progress” defined by the ICOM (International Council of Museums) Statutes. At present, a new Nanjing Museum consisting of six galleries and six institutes will gain more development space on a higher platform, and is making steady progress to the goal of integrating collection, preservation, research, education, and service, having the ability to host various exhibitions and carry out scientific researches, and becoming a museum with profound historical background and distinctive characteristics that is not only leading in China but one of the tops in the world.