Gallery of old objects arouses nostalgia in Ningbo

The exhibition gallery of old objects owned by Chen Dashu, a local collector in Jiangbei district, Ningbo [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

An exhibition gallery of old objects was launched by Chen Dashu, a local collector, on Dec 9 in Jiangbei district, Ningbo, to act as a window to the city’s past and help the younger generation to learn about its history. 

The gallery, covering 100 square meters, features four old style houses, with a collection of more than 1,000 objects dating back to three decades ago, such as an enamel jug, phonograph, old television and wooden desks, giving visitors a strong sense of nostalgia.

"It looks like my old home, and I'm familiar with most of the objects here, which are quite rare in today's society," said an elderly visitor to the gallery. . 

The gallery has taken more than half a year to prepare, according to Chen, who devotes himself to collecting old objects and travels all over the city to search for such things.

Chen now boasts a collection of thousands of old local objects spanning from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to modern days, mostly things from the 1980s and 1990s. 

Not only a platform for local residents to recall the past, the gallery marks also an attempt by Chen to explore a creative industry for old objects, which has been developing rapidly in some domestic cities but is still at an early stage in Ningbo. 

"There is a potential market for old objects, and my gallery currently works mainly on leasing venues and objects for shooting purposes," said Chen, adding that small-scale activities such as photo exhibitions and story-sharing sessions will also be held to gain popularity for his gallery, while he devises other ways to make profit in the future.