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Nanjing Museum facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Nanjing Municipal Museum.
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Nanjing Museum
南京博物院
Banner of Nanjing Museum, 2015-06-20.jpg
Established 1933
Location Nanjing, China
Type History museum, art museum
Collection size 400,000
Public transit access
  • Minggugong station  2 

The Nanjing Museum (Chinese: 南京博物院; pinyin: Nánjīng Bówùyuàn) is a very large museum in Nanjing, China. Nanjing is the capital city of Jiangsu Province. The museum covers an area of about 70,000 square meters (about 17 acres). It is one of the biggest museums in China.

The museum has over 400,000 items in its collection. Many of these items are from the Ming and Qing dynasties. It has one of the largest collections of imperial porcelain from these periods in the world.

History of the Nanjing Museum

The Nanjing Museum was one of the first museums ever built in China. It started in 1933 as a special department for a new national museum. The museum was built on a large piece of land.

A famous person named Cai Yuanpei was the first leader of the museum's planning team. He wanted to build three main halls. These halls would be for "Humanity," "Craft," and "Nature." But because of problems in China in the 1930s, only the "Humanity" hall was finished.

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, some of the museum's collections were moved to a safer place. Later, when the Kuomintang government left China, some items went to the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Important people like the historian Fu Sinian and the archaeologist Li Ji helped plan the museum. Zeng Zhaoyu, an archaeologist, was the first female president of the museum. She also helped start the museum. The museum was made bigger with new parts added in 1999 and 2009.

Museum Buildings

Nanjing Museum2
Detail of the entrance gate

The main building of the museum was designed by Liang Sicheng in the 1930s. It mixes Chinese and Western building styles. The front part looks like a traditional Chinese building. It has a beautiful golden tiled roof. The back part is in a Western style with a flat roof.

In the 1990s, an art hall was added to the west side of the main building. This new part also uses Chinese architectural styles from the early 20th century.

What You Can See: Exhibition Halls

The Nanjing Museum has twelve different exhibition halls. Each hall shows different types of amazing items. One very special item is a full-size suit of armor. This armor is made from small pieces of jade held together with silver wire.

Here are some of the halls you can explore:

  • Qin Garden
  • Earthen Ware Hall
  • Treasure Hall
  • Folk Art Hall
  • Bronze Ware Hall
  • Ming and Qing Porcelain Hall
  • Wu Weishan Sculpture Hall
  • Ancient Paintings Hall
  • Modern Art Hall
  • Jiangnan Silk Product Hall
  • Jade Hall
  • Lacquer Hall

Gallery

Paintings

  • Giant Bamboos and Stones by Li Kan

    Giant Bamboos and Stones by Li Kan (1245-1320), 13th century

  • Portrait of Jiang Shunfu

    A Ming portrait of the official Jiang Shunfu, late 15th century

  • Watching the Spring and Listening to the Wind by Tang Yin

    Watching the Spring and Listening to the Wind by Tang Yin (1470–1524), early 16th century

  • Camellia and a Lonely Bird by Zhou Shuxi

    Camellia and a Lonely Bird by Zhou Shuxi (1624–1705)

  • Fisherman and Fisherwoman by Huang Shen

    Fisherman and Fisherwoman by Huang Shen (1687-1772)

  • Four Beauties by Ni Tian

    Four Beauties by Ni Tian (1855–1919)

Lacquer

  • Western Han rectangular lacquerware box

    A Western Han (202 BC - 9 AD) red-and-black rectangular lacquerware box

  • Ming Dynasty lacquerware plate

    A Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) black lacquerware plate

  • Ming Dynasty lacquered bowl

    A Ming red lacquered bowl

  • Ming Dynasty mother-of-pearl and lacquer plates

    A pair of Ming Dynasty black lacquerware plates with mother-of-pearl inlaid designs of domestic scenes.

  • Lacquered box with character for luck, Qianlong Period

    A Qing red lacquerware box with the Chinese character for "spring" inscribed on the front, dated to the Qianlong Emperor's reign (1736-1795)

  • Lacquered plate, Qianlong Period, Qing Dynasty

    A red lacquerware plate, dated to the Qianlong Emperor's reign

Ceramics

  • Western Jin Celadon pot (top) with decorations

    A Western Jin Dynasty (265-316 AD) celadon ceramic jar with human figures, animals, and architecture.

  • Song Dynasty porcelain box with flower design

    A Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) porcelain box with a flower design

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain dish, Hongwu Reign Period

    A Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) porcelain dish from the reign of the Hongwu Emperor (1368-1398 AD)

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain vase, Yongle Reign Period

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain vase from the reign of the Yongle Emperor (1402-1424 AD)

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain dish, Xuande Reign Period

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain dish from the reign of the Xuande Emperor (1425-1435 AD)

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain ding vessel, Xuande Reign Period

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain ding vessel from the reign of the Xuande Emperor (1425-1435 AD).

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain vase, Zhengde Reign Period

    A Ming porcelain vase from the reign of the Zhengde Emperor (1505-1521 AD).

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain dish, Jiajing Reign Period (2)

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain dish from the reign of the Jiajing Emperor (1521-1567 AD)

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl, Wanli Reign Period

    A Ming porcelain bowl from the reign of the Wanli Emperor (1572-1620 AD).

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain vase, Wanli Reign Period (2)

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain vase from the reign of the Wanli Emperor (1572-1620 AD)

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain box, Wanli Reign Period

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain box from the reign of the Wanli Emperor (1572-1620 AD)

  • Ming Dynasty porcelain bowl, Chongzhen Reign Period

    A Ming blue-and-white porcelain bowl from the reign of the Chongzhen Emperor (1627-1644 AD)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Museo de Nankín para niños

  • Nanjing Municipal Museum
  • List of museums in China
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