Lushun Museum (旅顺博物馆) was formed through the merger of the former Lushun Zoo, Lushun Botanical Garden, and the original Lushun Museum. It houses over 60,000 artifacts, including exquisite collections of bronze ware, Xinjiang relics, ceramics, and rare foreign artifacts. Notably, the museum has the only collection of Gandhara stone carvings from India in China, making it a unique highlight. In addition to its historical treasures, Lushun Museum is also one of China’s large-scale garden museums, with many rare and precious trees on its grounds.
The museum consists of two adjacent European-style buildings, the main hall and the annex, and it takes about three hours to explore fully. Built in 1917 during the Japanese occupation, the interior layout and decoration still reflect the period’s style, with vintage chandeliers and individual wooden glass display cabinets, offering visitors a glimpse into both historical artifacts and the museum’s unique architectural charm.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of Lushun Museum
- Vlog about Lushun Museum
- Other Attractions in Lushun
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 1 – 2 hours |
| Ticket Price | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9.00 – 16.00 (1st November – 31st March) 9.00 – 16.30 (1st April – 31st October) |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0411-86382378 |
Location and Transportation
Lushun Museum is located at 42 Lenin Street, Lushunkou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. To get there, you can take bus Lushun 10, Lushun 12, Lushun 14, Lushun 1, Lushun 3, or Lushun 6, get off at Lenin Street Stop (列宁街站), and walk about 300 meters to the east.
Highlights of Lushun Museum
Bronze Artifacts
The bronze collection of Lushun Museum holds significant value both domestically and internationally. Spanning from the Shang Dynasty to the Liao and Jin periods, the collection includes weapons, ritual vessels, musical instruments, water containers, and miscellaneous items. Many of these artifacts bear inscriptions, such as the Luoyang Wuku Bell, Ran Zhen, Father Yi’s Tripod, Father Xin’s Steamer, and Lü’s Cauldron. In particular, the inscriptions on the Daliang Tripod, Guo Bo Gui, and the weight from the 26th year of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s reign have precise dates, providing important evidence for verifying and supplementing ancient history. These artifacts are invaluable for studying the history, language, and script from the Shang and Zhou periods through to the Qin and Han dynasties.
Calligraphy and Painting
The museum’s collection of calligraphy and paintings is unique, featuring rare works like Liu Bingqian’s “Bamboo and Rock” from the Yuan Dynasty. The artist’s vigorous brushwork is evident in his depiction of bamboo, and the painting is inscribed with “Spring of the Year Yimao, 1355, painted by Liu Bingqian for Kemin.” Liu Bingqian’s name does not appear in art history, making this work a rare surviving piece of Yuan Dynasty art. The museum also holds paintings by renowned artists from the Ming and Qing dynasties, representing various artistic schools of the time. Some pieces, such as Shen Gu’s “Green Garden,” Wen Zhengming’s “Portrait of Laozi,” and Tang Yin’s “Horseback Riding through a Pine Forest,” are former Qing imperial collections. Other highlights include Kangxi Emperor’s annotations on “Lanting Preface” and “Cao’e Stele,” as well as his imitations of famous calligraphers like Wang Xizhi and Mi Fu, providing valuable material for the study of Qing Dynasty calligraphy.
Xinjiang Artifacts
Xinjiang artifacts are another distinctive feature of the museum’s collection. These include silk paintings, Buddhist scriptures, block prints, documents, wooden objects, textiles, clay sculptures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and mummies. The Buddhist relics are particularly abundant, with texts in Chinese, Sanskrit, and other languages such as Uighur, Khotanese, and Tocharian. A notable item is a fragment of the Lotus Sutra from the 5th-6th century, which is the oldest known Sanskrit manuscript of this sutra in the world. Another highlight is the Collection of Buddha’s Teachings, the earliest Buddhist scripture translated into Chinese, showcasing the rich cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.
