Chaozhou City Museum

Chaozhou City Museum

Overview

Chaozhou Museum (潮州市博物馆), located in the southwestern corner of People’s Square, Chaozhou Avenue, Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province, is both a local comprehensive and commemorative museum. It covers an area of over 10,000 square meters, with a building area of 13,215 square meters. The museum is a National Second-Class Museum and a key protection unit for ancient books in Guangdong Province.

History

The origins of Chaozhou Museum trace back to May 1950 when the Chao’an County Cultural Center was established, marking the beginning of the museum. In 1959, Chao’an County Museum was officially founded. In 1983, Chao’an County Museum merged with Chaozhou City Museum. In June 2009, the new museum building at the southwestern corner of People’s Square was completed, and in 2010, it was officially opened. In 2023, the museum was also renamed as the Chaozhou Overseas Chinese Museum (潮州市华侨博物馆). As of the end of 2022, the museum had a collection of 15,780 items (sets), including 1,346 valuable cultural relics, with 10 first-class cultural relics, 88 second-class relics, and 1,248 third-class relics. The museum annually receives approximately 130,000 visitors.

In May 2013, Chaozhou Museum was recognized as a National Second-Class Museum by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Location and Visiting Hours

Location: People’s Square, Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou Avenue, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province.
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (with the last entry 20 minutes before closing; extended hours until 5:30 PM during school vacations). Open from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays (including national holidays). Special closures will be notified separately.
Admission: Free.

Architectural Layout

As of 2021, Chaozhou Museum occupies an area of 10,000 square meters, with a building area of 13,215 square meters. The museum is a multi-functional venue spread across four floors above ground and one floor underground, with a total height of 18.8 meters. It serves as an important cultural space for the collection, display, research, and education of historical and cultural knowledge, with a special focus on promoting the traditional culture of Chaozhou.

First Floor: Primarily used for VIP reception and audience services.
Second Floor: Features a near 3,000 square meter exhibition area with dedicated halls for the history of overseas Chinese, Chaozhou history, and rotating thematic exhibitions.
Third Floor: Houses several storage rooms for various collections, including calligraphy and paintings, ceramics, wood carvings, folk artifacts, excavated items, metals, jade, ancient books, and more. The museum also has an academic lecture hall.

Key Milestones

1950s: The Chao’an County Cultural Center and Museum were established.
1983: Chao’an County Museum merged with Chaozhou Museum.
2009: Construction of the new museum building completed.
2010: New museum officially opened to the public.
2023: Renamed as Chaozhou Overseas Chinese Museum.
2024: Hosted the unveiling ceremony of the Chaozhou branch of the China Overseas Chinese History Museum and the launch of the “Chaozhou Dialect, Talk to You” APP.

Chaozhou Museum stands as a testament to the region’s rich cultural heritage and plays a significant role in preserving and showcasing the local history, especially the customs and achievements of the Chaozhou people.

Exhibitions

Chaozhou City Museum (潮州市博物馆) has several permanent exhibitions, which include:

The Collection of Stone Carvings (馆藏石刻集粹)
Chaozhou People Going to the South Seas (潮人下南洋)
Seven Days of Chaozhou: Immortalizing History (潮州七日红青史垂千秋) at the Hanbi Building (涵碧楼)
The Life of Zhou Enlai (周恩来生平图片展)

Exhibition Locations

Exhibition Location	Exhibition Name
Fourth Exhibition Hall (主楼负一层)	The Collection of Stone Carvings (馆藏石刻集粹)
Fifth Exhibition Hall (附属楼一层)	Chaozhou People Going to the South Seas (潮人下南洋)
Hanbi Building, West Lake (西湖涵碧楼)	Seven Days of Chaozhou: Immortalizing History (潮州七日红青史垂千秋)
Zhou Enlai’s Life Picture Exhibition (周恩来生平图片展)

Special Exhibition

In 2022, for the “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” (文化和自然遗产日), the Centennial Light and Shadow – The History of Cinema Exhibition (百年光影留住经典——电影历史展), co-hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Museum (广东省博物馆) and Heyuan City Museum (河源市博物馆), was held at the Chaozhou City Museum (潮州市博物馆) from June 11 onwards. This exhibition explores the history of cinema through early film techniques, the birth of Chinese cinema, Guangdong cinema, and Heyuan cinema. It showcases film posters, scripts, tickets, magazines, and film equipment, taking the audience on a journey through a century of cinematic classics.

Collections

The Chaozhou City Museum’s (潮州市博物馆) collection is primarily sourced through social donations and contributions from passionate individuals worldwide. The collection includes local specialties such as jade and stone artifacts, ceramics, bronze, Chaozhou wood carvings, textiles, calligraphy and paintings, local documents, folk art, and revolutionary relics. Among these, ceramics, especially those from the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty kilns in Chaozhou, are the most numerous. These artifacts are crucial for research into the “Maritime Ceramic Road” (海上陶瓷之路).

As of the end of 2021, the museum had 15,644 items (sets) in its collection, with 1,346 of them being valuable cultural relics, including 10 first-class relics, 88 second-class relics, and 1,248 third-class relics.

Important Artifacts

Southern Song Dynasty Haizhou Zifu Temple Copper Bell (南宋海阳县资福寺大铜钟): This bell, cast in 1134 during the Shaoxing era, is 219 cm tall, with a diameter of 132 cm and weighs approximately 3,000 pounds. It features intricate patterns, including dragon motifs and lotus flowers.
Western Zhou Rope Pattern Cauldron (西周绳纹鬲): A cauldron from the Western Zhou period with clear historical and artistic value. It is 12.8 cm in diameter and 9.2 cm in height.
Ming Dynasty Qing Glaze Dark Floral Pattern Tripod Incense Burner (明青釉暗花花卉纹三足炉): A beautifully crafted incense burner, 24 cm in diameter and 12 cm in height, with exquisite patterns and craftsmanship.
Ming Dynasty Round Carved Double Dragon Head Wooden Beam (明圆雕双龙头木栱构件): This wooden beam, carved with double dragon heads, is a vital historical artifact for studying Ming Dynasty architecture and the history of Chaozhou.
Republic of China Red Satin Embroidered Large Decorative Banner (民国红缎地钉金彩绣人物大彩楣): This banner, used in local cultural activities, is a masterpiece of Chaozhou embroidery, made using various techniques including gold embroidery.

Honors

In May 2013, Chaozhou City Museum (潮州市博物馆) was recognized as a second-tier national museum by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局).
In October 2023, it was selected as part of the tenth batch of Guangdong Province’s Patriotism Education Base (广东省爱国主义教育基地).

Visitor Information

Location

Chaozhou City Museum (潮州市博物馆) is located at the southwest corner of People’s Square (人民广场), Chaozhou Avenue (潮州大道), Xiangqiao District (湘桥区), Chaozhou City (潮州市), Guangdong Province (广东省), China.

Opening Hours

The museum is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended hours during the summer and winter holidays until 5:30 PM. It is closed on Mondays (including public holidays), and may be temporarily closed due to special circumstances.