Museums
Zibo Museum
Updated: Jan 3, 2025
www.chinaservicesinfo.com
Print
Share - WeChat
Zibo Museum
淄博市博物馆
Address: No 153 Shangchangxi Road, Zhangdian district, Zibo city, Shandong province
Opening hours:
9 am-5 pm (last entry 4 pm)
Closed Mondays (except for national holidays)
General admission: Free
Tel: (+86-533)-2152253
The Zibo Museum, located in the Zhangdian district of Zibo, Shandong province, was founded in 1958, with its current facility completed and opened to the public in 1992. Covering an area of 42 mu (2.8 hectares) and with a building area of 13,000 square meters, the museum has been open to the public free of charge since 2008, and serves as an important cultural landmark and a window into the city's rich heritage.
As a comprehensive regional museum, the Zibo Museum integrates archaeological research, artifact exhibitions, cultural relic preservation, and academic studies. It houses an impressive collection of artifacts, with 25,199 items (or sets), including 50 national first-class and 99 national second-class cultural relics.
Notably, it is renowned for artifacts unearthed from the tombs of kings from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), including bronze ware, jade, and gold and silver pieces. These relics, from ceremonial bells to ancient jade ornaments, offer visitors a glimpse into the rich history of ancient China.
One of the museum's most precious treasures is a rectangular bronze mirror from the Western Han Dynasty, with five dragon-patterned knobs. Measuring 115.1 cm in height and 57.5 cm in width, it is the largest and heaviest bronze mirror ever unearthed in China. Despite its remarkable weight of 56.5 kg, the mirror is only 1.2 cm thick, exemplifying the extraordinary craftsmanship of its time. Its back is adorned with a shallow relief of a dragon, coiled with lifelike detail, mouth open and tongue extended.
In addition to its permanent exhibitions, such as the Accompanying Pit of the Tomb of the Prince of Qi Exhibition, Ancient Zibo Exhibition, Collection of Cultural Relics Exhibition, and the Zibo City Intangible Cultural Heritage Achievement Exhibition, the museum hosts more than 30 high-profile culture and art exhibitions annually, making it a vibrant center for cultural engagement in the region.
