Shanxi Museum [Photo/VCG]

Established in 2004, Shanxi Museum at the west bank of Fenhe River in Taiyuan covers an area of 112,000 square meters and is the largest collection, protection, research and exhibition center of historical relics in Shanxi province.

The Shanxi Museum complex consists of a main building and four auxiliary buildings at four corners. The shape of the main building resembles an ancient Chinese cauldron named Ding with four different wings –– symbolizing richness and stability. The four auxiliary buildings are the office building, the conference center, the convention center and the art center. The entire complex has become a cultural landmark in the city.

The museum houses 400,000 works of art and artifacts that embody Chinese traditional culture. Among them, cultural relics from the Neolithic Age at the Taosi site, cultural relics from the Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC), Zhou (c.11th century-256 BC) and Northern (386-581) dynasties, stone carvings, local Shanxi ceramics, cultural relics related to operas from the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties, and cultural relics related to Shanxi merchants from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties showcase the essence of Shanxi culture.

The relics displayed at the museum consist of seven historical and cultural subjects, including the local area as a cradle of civilization, an ethnic melting pot and opera hometown. They also include five art genres, such as porcelain and traditional Chinese painting.

In addition, the library in the museum covering more than 1,000 square meters holds more than 270,000 books, including over 110,000 ancient books. It is recognized as a "National Key Protection Unit for Ancient Books" by the Ministry of Culture.

Address: No 13, Northern Section of Binhe West Road, Taiyuan, Shanxi province

Opening hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (entry until 16:00)

Closed days: closed on Mondays (except those that fall on national holidays), Spring Festival eve and Spring Festival

Tel: 0351-8789188 (reception)
0351-8789555 (appointments)

E-mail: shanximuseum@163.com