Visiting Fuzhou Daguan Art Museum: From a foreigner's "international club" to a public art museum

While strolling through the Yantai Mountain Historical and Cultural Area in Fuzhou, I was fortunate to visit the Daguan Art Museum. This art museum is located in the Lequn Building, a white two-story building with a profound historical heritage. It is not only a landmark building in the Yantai Mountain area, but also carries rich historical and cultural memories. Lequn Building is vividly called the "International Club". It is located at No. 8 Lequn Road, Maiyuan Road Community, Cangqian Street, Cangshan District. The construction of this building began in the fourth year of Emperor Xianfeng's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1854) and was completed in 1859. It was originally built with funds raised by foreign consulates near Cangqian Mountain (mainly British), and was the earliest club in Fuzhou used for gatherings and entertainment for consuls and businessmen from various countries. It was not only a landmark building of Yantai Mountain at that time, but also the earliest Western-style entertainment building and foreign club in Fuzhou and even in China. Walk into the Lequn Building and experience its unique colonial arcade style. This two-story brick and wood structure building covers an area of ​​about 620 square meters, is 19.83 meters wide, 31.25 meters long and 18 meters high. Despite the baptism of time, Lequn Building has regained new vitality after the restoration and protection work since 2013. The appearance of the Daguan Art Museum has been significantly improved, and its cultural function has also been greatly enhanced. There are 5 exhibition halls in the museum, displaying a variety of exhibitions including the Dragon Year Special Exhibition, the Ceramic Pots of All Dynasties Exhibition, and the Authentic Blue and White Dragon Pattern Jar Exhibition. These exhibitions not only provide the public with a public cultural space with a strong sense of history, but also allow people to experience the charm of Chinese traditional culture up close. It is worth mentioning that the main exhibits in the museum were collected at home and abroad by Cao Yanling and Chen Wenyuan, patriotic overseas Chinese leaders from Fujian who have lived abroad for many years. These exhibits not only demonstrate the profoundness of Chinese traditional culture, but also reflect the deep affection and selfless dedication of overseas Chinese to their motherland. Daguan Art Museum is not only a place to display artworks, but also a platform for overseas Chinese to socialize, exchange culture and connect with each other for business. This is where Chinese people from all over the world gather together, sharing their love for their motherland and cultural heritage, and feeling the charm of traditional Chinese culture and the patriotic sentiments of overseas Chinese. Daguan Art Museum will continue to play its unique cultural role and provide a platform for more people to understand history and experience culture.