A Cool Summer Retreat in Nanjing—Visiting Exhibitions at the Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum New and Old Galleries

🖼Even if I don't have an artistic bone in my body, even if I don't understand creation, or even if I'm not interested in calligraphy and painting, how can I resist the Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum? Because... who doesn't yearn for 'beauty'? The key is that during the hot summer, visiting exhibitions inside the museum is the top choice for staying cool! 🏰The old gallery of today's Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum was originally built in 1936 as the National Art Gallery, the first national-level art museum in modern Chinese history. Now, it is divided into the old and new galleries. 📺At the Jiangsu Provincial Art Exhibition Hall 'Oriental Charm,' classic Chinese art pieces are showcased. 'Mommy, mommy'... 'I'm not your mommy, your mommy has four legs'... Do you remember this short story from textbooks, or the animated film on TV—'Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother'? Have you watched 'Havoc in Heaven,' 'The Calabash Brothers,' 'Fantastic Tales of Tianshan'...? These familiar yet long-lost names, aren't they classics from your childhood animation memories?! 🔮The three-story exhibition hall features early landscapes, paper-cutting, New Year paintings, shadow plays, and animations depicting idioms. Each segment is vividly remembered, especially 'Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother,' China's first ink and wash animation, which is also featured at the opening of the exhibition. 🎥In addition to frequently mentioned and variously remade series like 'The Calabash Brothers,' 'Journey to the West,' 'Nezha,' many may have forgotten 'Mr. Dongguo,' 'The Proud General,' 'Fantastic Tales of Tianshan,' 'Three Monks,' 'The Fox Hunts the Hunter,' and so on, which once brought us laughter and a fair share of childhood shadows, right?! 🦌'National Treasures' mentioned the Mogao Caves, which talked about 'The Nine-Colored Deer.' Because of the Nine-Colored Deer, we learned about the Mogao Caves. In fact, many animated stories convey knowledge, morals, and character to us, such as gratitude, humility, respect for the elderly, and shared responsibility. Traditional Chinese virtues like 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faith,' 'gentleness, kindness, respect, thrift, and modesty,' and so on, are also conveyed to us through these art pieces during our childhood! ❤️Therefore, we don't need to envy how animations are in Japan or America. Chinese art animations have a glorious history and continue to break new ground today. We have our own 'Oriental Charm'! 🛎1. The first and second floors are exhibition halls, and the third floor offers a viewing experience of animations that can no longer be found on TV or online. 2. On the left side of the first floor, there is an artistic café where enthusiasts can sit and take photos at their leisure. 📷The building itself is an art piece, full of aesthetic appeal. From the steps in the corridor, the chandeliers, and the large floor-to-ceiling windows, paired with benches, it's full of a retro vibe. And this corridor is a popular spot for Instagram-worthy photos. Many beautiful visitors come here to take photos by the windows and staircases. You can also take photos of the details of your exhibition visit, as the lines are very characteristic. 📍Location: No. 266 Changjiang Road, Xuanwu District (this is the old gallery) 🚗Transportation: Two-minute walk from Daxinggong Station on the subway. ⏰Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm. 💰Free admission, reservation required. 🖼Compared to the old gallery, the new gallery has a more modern appearance and interior decoration, so the artworks exhibited in each period are also modern art collections. Currently, the two floors above ground and one floor underground are open. 🖼For example, the 'National Art Exhibition' on the first floor, with its red backdrop, oil paintings, watercolors, and calligraphy, presents majestic works in a quiet and pleasant viewing environment. One section even celebrates the valiant figures of Jiangsu athletes and the calligraphy and paintings of Jiangsu's public fitness! This year is the year of sports, the Olympic year, which is very fitting! And today just happens to be National Fitness Day, isn't that a coincidence?! 🗺The second floor is filled with various prints in a whole hall, so 'neat and orderly'! Even in a dim environment, photography enthusiasts can't contain their enthusiasm and start creating right there on the benches! 📚The basement floor is for special and temporary exhibitions, with the 'Xu Jian • Xie Shiqiang' theme exhibition. And my favorite is still to browse the various museum cultural and creative stores, even if I don't buy anything, just to look and be inspired by art! Of course, if there's something I particularly like, it's only right to purchase it! The museum has also set up a café, where you can enjoy a drink, hold a book, and there's even a stepped book city at the staircase entrance, all with a literary and fresh atmosphere! If you can do so without disturbing others, there's also a reading room where you can sit and rest! How nice is that?! 🆒Nanjing's summer is hot as a furnace, but in the various museums along Changjiang Road, slowing down and calmly viewing and reading exhibitions is another unique summer experience, isn't it?! 📍Location: No. 333 Changjiang Road, Xuanwu District. (Opposite the Six Dynasties Museum, close to Nanjing Library) 🚗Transportation: About 400 meters walk from Daxinggong Station on the subway. ⏰Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm, free admission, ID required for ticket reservation!