Liaocheng China Canal Culture Museum

Liaocheng China Canal Culture Museum
聊城中国运河文化博物馆

Address: No 88 Dongchang West Road, Dongchangfu district, Liaocheng, Shandong province
Opening Hours:
9am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Closed Mondays (except for national holidays)
General admission: Free
Tel: 0635-6066123

Opened to the public in 2009, the Liaocheng China Canal Culture Museum is the country's first museum dedicated to canal culture. It was recognized as a national first-class museum in 2024.

Liaocheng's deep connection with canals dates back to the Sui Dynasty (581-618), when the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal cut through the city's western border. In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Huitong Canal ran through the heart of Liaocheng. These waterways left a lasting legacy of canal heritage that continues to define the city's historical and cultural landscape.

The museum offers a comprehensive exploration of this canal culture through two key permanent exhibitions: the "Canal Culture Exhibition" and the "Liaocheng Historical Relics Exhibition". These two exhibitions provide a multi-dimensional view of the city's ancient history, natural landscapes, and regional traditions associated with the canal.

With a collection exceeding 12,000 artifacts, the museum boasts six first-class items, 21 second-class items, and 186 third-class items. One of the museum's most striking features is its largest exhibit: a reconstructed Yuan Dynasty grain transport ship. This vessel was rebuilt based on historical records and the remains of a ship discovered in the Huitong Canal in 2002. Measuring 17.5 meters in length and about 4 meters in width, the ship's remnants, along with snail shells found in its seams, provide strong evidence of the canal's historical importance as a vital transportation route.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), the Grand Canal facilitated flourishing economic exchanges between northern and southern China, bringing prosperity to cities like Liaocheng. To capture this historical vibrancy, the museum utilizes holographic imaging technology in an impressive 30-meter-long digital painting that represents the prosperity of Dongchang, the ancient name for Liaocheng. This digital artwork vividly portrays key cultural landmarks such as Guangyue Tower and the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild Hall, recreating the bustling marketplaces and thriving commerce that earned Liaocheng the nickname "Metropolis of Northern China".