Nantong promotes abacus culture in Xinjiang

The China Abacus Museum in Nantong [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

The China Abacus Museum in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, has recently brought the abacus culture to Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The museum organized an exhibition at Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture Museum and Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics to showcase 70 exhibits, including abacus and related historical materials.

The China Abacus Museum also cooperated with the university to organize special cultural and exchanges activities to impress local students with the charm of Chinese abacus culture, which was added to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013.

Exhibits at the China Abacus Museum in Nantong. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

Jiang Hong, deputy curator of the China Abacus Museum, said that the museum plans to promote abacus culture in primary and middle schools as well as other universities in Xinjiang with exhibitions, lectures, and interactive experiencing.

Xinjiang teachers and students will also be invited to visit the museum and participate in volunteer service to better learn about the history and knowledge of abacus calculation and mental calculation, Jiang added.

Opening to the public in 2004, the China Abacus Museum currently houses more than 4,000 ancient books and historical records related to the abacus, as well as over 2,000 abacus instruments from countries such as China, Japan, India, and Russia.