China Grand Canal Museum

China Grand Canal Museum

扬州中国大运河博物馆
Main entrance of Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum
Established	2021.06.16
Location	[Jiangsu Province] [Yangzhou City] Grand Canal Three Bays Ecological and Cultural Park
Manager	Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (Jiangsu Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics)
Curator	Jing Zheng [1]
Owner	Jiangsu Provincial People's Government
Website	https://canalmuseum.net/

The China Grand Canal Museum (Yangzhou) is a modern, comprehensive museum dedicated to the Grand Canal Heritage Site, located in the Grand Canal Three Bays Ecological and Cultural Park in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Its main functions include cultural relic preservation, scientific research and exhibition, and public education. ^{[2] [3]}

The museum was built in Yangzhou and operated by the Nanjing Museum. ^[4] It covers an area of about 200 mu (approximately 13.3 hectares) with a total area of about 80,000 square meters and an exhibition area of about 18,000 square meters. It features 11 special exhibitions. The museum showcases the culture of the Grand Canal throughout the entire river basin and at all times. ^{[5] [3]} Since opening, the museum has won a number of industry awards, and welcomes over 4 million visitors a year. ^[6]

History

China's Grand Canal waterway was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2014, ^[7] citing a centuries-long legacy as "a powerful factor of economic and political unification, and a place of major cultural interchanges." ^[8]

In October of 2018, plans were unveiled for a museum in Yangzhou dedicated to the site; once opened, it was slated to be "the world's largest national park and feature many places of interest, including scenic spots, cultural relics, and ancient and modern water conservancy facilities." ^[9] The project broke ground in May of 2019, and a commemorative ceremony was held at Yangzhou's Sanwan Park. ^[10]

• On November 19, 2020, the Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum was officially named. ^[11]
• On June 10, 2021, the “Grand Canal Museum Alliance” was officially established. ^[12]
• On June 16, 2021, the Grand Canal Culture Development Forum and the opening ceremony of the Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum were held, and the museum officially opened. ^[13]

Exhibits

Permanent Exhibitions

• The Grand Canal of China – A World Cultural Heritage Site
• Boats on the Canal
• Born from the Canal – Impressions of Ancient Cities

Thematic Exhibitions

• Major World Canals and Canal Cities
• Epic Scroll of the Grand Canal of China
• Wetland Wonders
• Intangible Cultural Heritage Along the Grand Canal
• Forbidden City and the Grand Canal
• Emperor Yang of Sui and the Grand Canal
• Water Flows Left and Right, the Youth Yearns Day and Night
• Grand Canal Mystery for a Ming Dynasty Water Supervisor

Emperor Yang of Sui and the Grand Canal

Temporary and Special Exhibitions

• Canal Wonderland — A VR Large-scale Immersive Exploration Exhibition
• So Long, So Rich: Huang Yongyu’s New Works Exhibition
• Fu Baoshi and Related Artists – Special Exhibition of Fine Collections of Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Painting Institute
• Set Out from the Canal: The 2022–2024’s Collection Exhibition of the China Grand Canal Museum
• Sailing Through Thousands of Twists and Turns — Maiji Miraculous Heritage Along the Silk Road
• Canal-Inspired Culture — Public Art Exhibition at Dayun Tower
• Defining Avant-Garde – Russian Avant-Garde Art from the State Russian Museum
• “Venice Revealed” Immersive Digital Exhibition
• Carrying Through the Ages: Exhibition of Significant Archaeological Discoveries Along the Grand Canal in the New Era
• Emotions and Dreams: The Vigorous Four Seasons in Qi Baishi’s Paintings

References

1. "领导成员". Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
2. 路凯丽 (2021-06-10). "千年运河一馆"藏"：扬州中国大运河博物馆6月16日建成开放". 央视新闻. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
3. "中国大运河博物馆". Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
4. "扬州中国大运河博物馆定名". 扬州日报. 2020-11-20. Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
5. 扬州日报 (2020-11-17). "大运河博物馆联盟成立". 扬州日报. Retrieved 2022-02-12.^{[ dead link ]}
6. Zhang, Yunhan; Jin, Yang; Hou, Bing (2025-06-02). "How tourism reshapes cultural production in history museums: an assemblage perspective" . Current Issues in Tourism: 1–16. doi:10.1080/13683500.2025.2511993. ISSN   1368-3500.
7. "Four new cultural sites inscribed on World Heritage List" . Retrieved 2025-11-07.
8. "The Grand Canal - UNESCO World Heritage" . Retrieved 2025-11-07.
9. Cang, Wei. "Grand canal inspires grand plan". China Daily. Archived from the original on 2025-08-07. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
10. "中国大运河博物馆（筹）奠基仪式在扬举行 预计2021年底可对外开放". China Daily. 2019-05-06. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
11. "扬州中国大运河博物馆定名" [The Yangzhou Grand Canal Museum of China has been named] (in Chinese). 扬州日报. 2020-11-20. Archived from the original on 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
12. ""大运河博物馆联盟"正式成立". 2021-06-10. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
13. "中国大运河博物馆盛大开放". 2021-06-16. Archived from the original on 2022-02-12. Retrieved 2022-02-12.