Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture Museum

Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture is located between Kunming City and Dali Prefecture. Although it does not have the numerous famous scenic spots like Kunming, the Spring City, such as Dianchi Lake, Stone Forest, Western Hills, and Yunnan Ethnic Village, nor does it have the renowned Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake scenery of Dali, it has its unique charm. Chuxiong is the homeland of the Yuanmou Man, the oldest human in the East. It is one of the regions with the most types and quantities of dinosaur fossils unearthed in the world. It is also the place with the most concentrated, rich, and splendid Yi culture in China, and a livable prefecture with beautiful landscapes and a mild climate. Chuxiong Prefecture Museum is located in the southern part of Chuxiong City. It offers free admission and free parking. The museum has seven exhibition halls: the Preface Hall, Paleontology Hall, Historical Relics Hall, Yi Nationality Hall, Chuxiong Prefecture Local Party History Hall, Calligraphy and Painting Hall, and Animal Specimen Hall, with 12 exhibition rooms covering an exhibition area of over 7,000 square meters. The exhibits are abundant, making it an excellent place to learn about the ancient biology, historical evolution, and Yi culture of Chuxiong Prefecture. The displays on the origin of the Yi nationality, the tiger cosmology, the ten-month solar calendar, language and writing, the role of Bimo (Yi priests), and the costumes, dances, and festivals of various branches are detailed and precise. Chuxiong Prefecture Museum can be described as a leader in the industry. This is not because of its grand and magnificent architecture, but because of its distinctive local characteristics and advanced museum-building concepts. The museum is built on a hillside, with terraces constructed by taking advantage of the terrain, and the halls are connected by stepped corridors. The columns and beams of the corridors are decorated with Yi ethnic paintings. From a distance, it looks grand and imposing; up close, it is exquisite and elegant. Compared with museums or certain types of government buildings in other cities that often occupy hundreds of acres of flat land, with pools and squares as embellishments, Chuxiong Prefecture Museum's pragmatic, noble, and sophisticated design is undoubtedly a world apart.