Suzhou Museum West Branch

Compared to the bustling main hall of the Suzhou Museum, the West Branch located at Lion Mountain Plaza has fewer visitors, more abundant exhibits, convenient reservation, and a much better visiting experience. The first floor 'Pure Jiangnan: Suzhou Historical Exhibition' is the basic display, showcasing Suzhou's history from the Old Stone Age on Sanshan Island to the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, spanning ten thousand years. The second floor is the 'Craft Memories of Suzhou: Suzhou Craftsmanship Hall,' displaying fine Suzhou craftsmanship from the Song and Yuan dynasties to the present day, including jade carving, bamboo carving, Suzhou embroidery, and Taohuawu woodblock New Year pictures, which are traditional crafts. The second floor also houses the 'International Cooperation Hall,' where the current special exhibition is the third phase of the 'History of World Civilizations' series exhibition 'King of Assyria: Ashurbanipal,' in collaboration with the British Museum. The third floor features the 'Painting and Calligraphy of Suzhou: Collection of Historical Paintings and Calligraphy Exhibition.' The current special exhibition is 'Seeing the Virtuous and Thinking of Equality - Special Exhibition of Ming and Qing Portrait Paintings.' The underground floor houses the 'Suzhou Colored Life Hall,' which fully exhibits the ancient charm of Jiangnan. After visiting the museum, you can climb the Lion Mountain in front to exercise and enjoy the view. Unfortunately, it's too late for this visit, but I'll leave it for next time.