Linqu Museum

Linqu Museum
临朐县博物馆

Address: 100m east of Huanglong Rd–Wenhua Rd intersection, Linqu county, Weifang, Shandong province
Hours:
Summer: 9am–5:30pm (last entry 5pm)
Winter: 9am–5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Closed Mondays (except on national holidays)
General admission: Free
Tel: 0536-3212138

The Linqu Museum, also known as the Shanwang Fossil Museum, was established in 1981. The museum's new facility spans 26,000 square meters, with 9,300 square meters dedicated to exhibitions. It serves as a comprehensive museum integrating exhibitions, education, collections, and research.

The museum's extensive collection exceeds 100,000 pieces and encompasses six main themes: folk culture, Shanwang fossil biota, Buddhist statues, stone carvings, and other historical artifacts. This diverse range makes Linqu Museum unique in its dual focus on both Miocene fossils and historical relics, distinguishing itself as the only county-level comprehensive museum in China with such a combination.

Among the museum's most treasured specimens is the Ursavus orientalis fossil, regarded as the most complete skeleton of its kind in the world. The museum's Shanwang fossil biota, dating back 18 million years to the Miocene Epoch, is celebrated for its preservation and variety. The collection includes over 700 genera and species, with significant finds like the Shandongornis shanwangensis discovered in 1976, which has greatly contributed to the field of paleontology.

In addition to its fossil exhibits, the museum boasts an impressive historical artifact collection containing jade, pottery, bronze, porcelain, paintings, and calligraphy from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). Buddhist statues from the Northern Dynasty (386-581) showcase exquisite craftsmanship, and the murals from the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) tomb fill a gap in the history of Chinese tomb art, providing invaluable material for academic study.

In recent years, the museum has adopted digital technology to enrich the visitor experience. A notable feature of this modernization is the AR digital interactive experience zone, which enhances engagement through sound, text, and visual effects. Interactive displays such as "The World Through Animal Eyes" and "The Sounds of Shanwang 18 Million Years Ago" let visitors virtually explore ancient ecosystems and gain a deeper understanding of prehistoric life. Adopting digital media not only makes the exhibitions more immersive but also brings the ancient past to life in a way that traditional displays cannot.