[2025 Hangzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Chiangnan Watery Region Culture Museum of China (Updated Mar)

The Linping Museum, a district-level museum in Hangzhou, primarily exhibits historical artifacts starting from the Liangzhu and Songze cultures of the Jiangnan region. During this visit, I pondered how the Liangzhu culture, dating back 5,000 years, didn't seem to directly transition into the Xia Dynasty, and even its connection to the Shang and Zhou Dynasties is tenuous. Yet, the shape of Liangzhu jade cong has been passed down to this day, which is quite remarkable. One theory suggests that due to floods in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the late Liangzhu people were forced to migrate north, where they joined Dayu and participated in flood control... China Jiangnan Water Town Culture Museum

Ancient Chinese sages observed the sky and created the five colors based on the five elements. From court ceremonies to folk festivals, from "five shades of ink" to "five colors," colors are the Chinese color "code" and the sediment of the Chinese spirit and cultural concepts. Yellow, as the "orthodox color" of China, represents human orthodoxy and power, and also embodies the virtues and order of heaven and earth; green symbolizes vitality and the revival of all things in spring, and is the color of hope; red is blood and passion, white symbolizes purity and morality; and black is deep and introverted. The famille rose porcelain gourd vase with dragon head and ring handles is decorated with a variety of flowers using the "hundred flowers" technique, which means auspiciousness and shows the wisdom of the people.

Blue, red, yellow, white, and black are the five primary colors. The combination of the five colors, five directions, and five elements forms the basic system of colors in traditional Chinese culture. Black represents the north, symbolizing winter, solemnity, and depth. Other names for black include xuan, wu, li, li, zi, zi, zao, jiang, and dai, with the mainstream etymology being "fire smoke." The main patterns on the porcelain chime are bats, flowers, and the character for longevity, symbolizing "happiness, longevity, and celebration." The combination of bats and round eyes represents "happiness in front of you," while the combination of double fish and chime expresses the meaning of "abundance and celebration." The famille rose lotus "Autumn Exercise" commemorative cup was fired during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty and is also known as the "suction cup."

The essence of Chinese colors lies in its unique five-color system, which contains the concept of the five elements of mutual generation and restraint, and the cycle of life. White represents the west, symbolizing autumn, brightness, and purity. Ding ware is one of the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty. The kiln site is located in Jianzhi Village, Quyang, Hebei Province. It was first fired in the Tang Dynasty, mainly producing white porcelain. Jade plaques evolved from jade screens. Since the Ming Dynasty, jade screens have gradually become smaller and more exquisite, and are called "jade plaques" because of their resemblance to plaques. The Majiayao pottery jar with circular net patterns was unearthed at the Majiayao site in Lintao County, Gansu Province. The Majiayao culture dates back 5,000–4,000 years. The grid pattern inside the circle symbolizes fields, which were the most sacred wealth of the ancestors.

Auspicious symbols are condensed in historical relics, showing the ethics, emotions, life consciousness, aesthetic taste, and national character of the Chinese people. May the new year be better than the old one, and may you be happy and successful. Since the Han Dynasty, people have sanctified the images of auspicious birds and beasts and have continuously explored more romantic and idealized shapes, such as dragons, unicorns, pixiu, and phoenixes. Beasts and birds such as lions, tigers, elephants, deer, peacocks, and red-crowned cranes have also gradually become deified. Pixiu is a fierce auspicious beast that eats from all directions and only enters but does not exit. It can attract wealth and treasure, and has the meaning of attracting wealth, peace, and health. It has a dragon head, horse body, and scaly feet, with long whiskers under its jaw, wings on both sides, and a curled tail. Pixiu was originally male as "pi" and female as "xiu", and later divided into three types: those without horns are called fuba, those with one horn are called tianlu, and those with two horns are called bixie. The auspicious pattern of a crane standing on the tide means "first rank in the court", and when combined with auspicious clouds and dragon patterns, it means promotion to the first rank. The oracle bone script for "xi" (happiness) is composed of a drum and a mouth, and the ancients were happy when they heard the sound of the drum. Since the Song Dynasty, the character "xi" has appeared in the form of "double happiness".

Jiangnan Watertown Culture Museum is a museum that reflects the history of Yuhang, Hangzhou, and uses the world-famous Liangzhu Culture as a starting point to showcase the culture and folk customs of Jiangnan Watertown in China. It is an important window for people to understand the Liangzhu Culture and the history of Linping, and to interpret the cultural phenomena and causes of Linping and the entire Jiangnan Watertown. The museum's "Jiangnan Watertown Culture Exhibition" includes three parts: "Wu and Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period," "Jiangnan Towns," and "Watertown Customs." It is the highlight of the museum's exhibition and won the "Best Service Award" in the 6th National Museum Top Ten Boutique Exhibition Selection. Walking through it is like traveling through a thousand years of time and space, experiencing the interweaving of reality and fantasy, history and reality. The "Dawn of Civilization - Exhibition of Liangzhu Culture Artifacts in the Museum's Collection" showcases the achievements of Yuhang in the protection of Liangzhu Culture sites and the collection of cultural relics over the past decades. Some of the exquisite jade artifacts on display represent the highest level of Liangzhu Culture jade artifacts, and some are unique. The visit takes about two hours.

Linping Museum has recently made a big move. In addition to the 1.4 billion worth of avant-garde masterpieces borrowed from the Russian National Art Museum, there are also "Elephant New" Chinese modern and contemporary painting group exhibitions, and Eastern and Western cultures are reflected here! The treasure of Linping is happy again. The West Museum temporary exhibition hall can also unlock the authentic works of outstanding painters such as Wu Changshuo, Xu Beihong, Huang Binhong, Lin Fengmian, and Wu Guanzhong, all for free! Wu Changshuo is a bridge between tradition and modernity, China and the world. He advocates that artistic creation should be new with the ancients and pursue individual expression.

Malevich, born in a poor family in Poland, is one of the three pioneers of abstract art. His geometric abstraction and Kandinsky's lyrical abstraction are the two representatives of Western modernist abstract painting. Malevich has a distinctive personality and seems to be born to be a member of the avant-garde. "Nothing" is the highest criterion of suprematism. The suprematist works created by Malevich pursue the "rationality" beyond rationality and bring this torch to the world. His red ray on the blue square sold for 60 million US dollars in 2008, the highest among Russian artworks. From the 1920s, suprematism went beyond the limitations of the frame and was materialized in three-dimensional space. He built a utopian space in a quasi-God status, which had a profound impact on later modernist architecture. The later Pritzker Prize winner-architect Zaha Hadid inherited her thoughts. In the late 1930s, Malevich tried to return to concrete expression and created realistic portrait paintings in the style of the Renaissance. Until today, we will still be moved by the pure and ultimate spiritual power in the picture.

Scholars and literati express their emotions through flowers, which is the beauty of life. We cannot pick every flower depicted in gold and silver wares, lacquerware, silk, and porcelain, but we can glimpse nature reflected in the human heart, a continuous pursuit of beauty from ancient times to the present. The decorative style of the Han Dynasty was simple and dynamic, seeking openness within density. The Six Dynasties were elegant and sparse. The Tang Dynasty was gorgeous and full, with a simple and frugal style in its later period. The Song Dynasty was refined and light, with a high level of elegance. The Yuan Dynasty was vigorous and bold. The Ming Dynasty was dignified and sincere, with a stylized decoration. The Qing Dynasty's arts and crafts skills were exquisite, but the style was inferior. After viewing the exhibition, don't forget to get a stamp. The patterns are taken from the plum blossoms in Yao Yuyin's 'Red Plum Scroll', the orchids in Wu Changshuo's 'Orchid Fan', the chrysanthemums in Yao Yuyin's 'Yellow Flower Mirror', and the begonias in Zhang Dazhuang's 'Begonia Fan'.

In the family holidays of the Korean ethnic group, the most grand is the 'Silver Wedding', also known as the return wedding, held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of marriage. Like the 'Hui Jia Festival' (sixtieth birthday), it was formed from the mid-17th century to the mid-18th century. Koreans are good at growing rice in cold areas. During the Lantern Festival, they eat Erming wine and medicinal rice, go to the ancestral graves to send lamps, release river boats, welcome the moon and step on the bridge, surrounded by the lit 'Moon Watching Tower', singing and dancing with the sound of long drums, flutes, and suona music. The Book of Rites records: 'The beginning of courtesy and righteousness lies in the proper appearance, harmonious facial expression, and orderly words.' Clothing and accessories express taste, emotion, and story, highlight personality and thought, and also accumulate a deep historical foundation and distinctive ethnic characteristics. The development of Hanfu can be mainly divided into three types: deep clothes, clothes, and robes. Deep clothes are a type of clothing where the top and bottom are connected into one, generally with a cross collar and right lapel, and the length of the clothes is to the ankle. The traditional Korean costumes are elegant and bright, inheriting the Central Plains costumes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. The women's clothing is obviously influenced by the Tang Dynasty's sticky skirt, but the top is shorter and the skirt is higher waist, which should be the result of the exchange of clothing with the Tang Dynasty during the Silla period. In the blend of history and culture, Korean traditional costumes have gradually evolved into a unique ethnic symbol and cultural symbol, inheriting the excellent cultural traditions of the Chinese nation, and highlighting the unique style of the Korean people.

For the Asian Games tour, we recommend the less crowded pavilion - Jiangnan Water Town Culture Museum. This is a museum that reflects the history of Yuhang, and uses the world-famous Liangzhu culture as a starting point to display the culture and folk customs of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River in China. It is an important window for people to interpret the cultural phenomenon of the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River and its causes, and it is also the first museum in China named and built with regional culture. 🏰Venue features: ✔️The museum has 7 exhibition halls and 4 unit exhibitions. ✔️"Jiangnan Water Town Culture Display", including "Spring and Autumn of Wu and Yue", "Towns in the South of the Yangtze River", and "Water Town Customs". It is the highlight of the museum's display and has won the "Best Service Award" in the sixth national museum's top ten boutique display exhibition selection. When people pass through it, it is like passing through a thousand years of time and space, feeling the crisscrossing of reality and fantasy, history and reality. ✔️"Dawn of Civilization - Collection of Liangzhu Culture Artifacts Display", which shows the achievements of Yuhang in the protection of Liangzhu culture sites and the collection of cultural relics over the past decades, especially some exquisite jade articles displayed in it, which can represent the highest level of Liangzhu culture jade articles, some of which are unique treasures. ✔️"Our Home - Yuhang Historical Culture Exhibition", through various charts, precious cultural relics, character statues, scenes and other means, it reflects the major events that have occurred in the history of Yuhang from the Majiabang culture that began more than 7,000 years ago to modern times, and the famous places, natural resources and many politicians, scientists, national heroes and skilled craftsmen nurtured by Yuhang. 📍Address: North side of People's Square, Linping Nanyuan Street, Yuhang District 🕑Visiting time: May 4th - October 3rd 8:45-17:00; October 8th to April 30th of the following year 9:00-16:30 Closed on Mondays ⏰Recommended play time: 2h 🎫Tickets: Free 🚗Transportation: Get off at "Linping Subway Station" on Line 9 and walk or ride 1.2 kilometers

Museums are not just spaces for collecting and displaying exhibits, but also hold our memories and emotions, interpreting the past and future of a culture. Remembering the past, 'now' is the present. Knowledge from museums, steady progress leads to a long journey. Bronze swords began in the Shang Dynasty, generally made from copper and tin alloys, commonly known as 'Wu Gou Yue Sword'. Pictorial bricks began in the late Warring States period and flourished in the Han Dynasty. The pictorial bricks of the Southern Dynasty period have rich themes and elegant and smooth techniques. A group of two bronze mirrors were unearthed from a tomb of the Southern Song Dynasty in Zhejiang, which are usually for a husband and wife burial. The mirror with a handle is commonly used by men, and the round sunflower-edged mirror is commonly used by women.