The Sanhe Folk Custom Museum (三河民俗博物馆) is located in Sanhe Ancient Town, a 5A-rated scenic area in Feixi County, Hefei, Anhui Province. This museum specializes in social sciences and folk customs and is privately operated. It covers an exhibition area of 10,000 square meters and houses 1,100 sets of exhibits. The museum hosts about 10 events annually.
The museum was established in several phases. In September 2008, the first hall, Wangyue Pavilion, was created and opened to the public in May 2009. The second hall, Dafu Di, was established in April 2010 and opened in December 2010, marking the official naming of the Sanhe Folk Custom Museum. The third hall, Qimeng Garden, was created in May 2015 and opened in October 2015. The fourth hall, the Folk Custom Garden (Huai Army’s Hometown), was established in February 2017 and opened to the public in February 2018.
Table of Contents
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 1 – 2 hours |
| Ticket Price | 40 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 9.00 – 16.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0551-68757113 |
Location and Transportation
Sanhe Folk Custom Museum is located in Sanhe Ancient Town, at the southern end of Feixi County in Hefei City, Anhui Province. To get here, you can choose one of the following ways:
By Bus from Shucheng: Take Bus Line 8 to Sanhe Station, then walk approximately 904 meters to reach the town.
By Bus from Hefei South Station: Take Bus 811 from the Hefei South Station bus stop, which will take you directly to Sanhe Ancient Town. Board the bus at Waiting Area 2.
Highlights of Sanhe Folk Custom Museum
Wangyue Pavilion
Wangyue Pavilion, also known as Guocui Tower, is one of the iconic structures in Sanhe Ancient Town. The pavilion showcases nearly a thousand ancient art treasures from private collections, offering a rich and well-preserved variety of exhibits that are both exquisite and unique. The collection at Guocui Tower features four main highlights:
- Plaques from the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republic of China: Over a hundred plaques with clear inscriptions from these eras are on display. Each plaque carries a captivating, lesser-known story, making them invaluable, tangible resources for studying folk culture.
- Ancient Ceramics: Spanning 7,000 years from the Neolithic period to the Republic of China, the ceramic collection includes typical pieces from various stages of development. Notably, there are over a hundred wine jugs from the Tang and Song dynasties, forming a comprehensive physical history of Chinese ceramics.
- Classical Furniture: The pavilion features an array of meticulously crafted traditional furniture, including beds, chairs, stools, tables, wardrobes, bookshelves, altars, sedan chairs, and washstands. Each piece is intricately carved and stunningly beautiful.
- Buddhist Statues: Since the Tang and Song dynasties, the collection includes statues made of stone, wood, porcelain, and bronze. Each statue is vividly shaped and lifelike, showcasing the extraordinary artistry of the time.
Dafu Di
Dafu Di recreates the luxurious lifestyle of officials from past dynasties, offering a glimpse into the design concepts and carving techniques of the skilled craftsmen of the time. Historically, many government officials settled in Sanhe. During the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, prominent figures such as Li Hongzhang, Viceroy of Zhili and Minister of Beiyang, built banks and warehouses in Sanhe. Other officials, including Zhang Shusheng, Viceroy of Liangguang, Liu Bingzhang, Viceroy of Sichuan, and Pan Dingxin, Governor of Guangxi, owned properties in Sanhe. Brothers Zhou Shengbo and Zhou Shengchuan, Commanders-in-Chief of Hunan, also established pawnshops there. The ancient town was once filled with grand mansions, bustling commercial streets, and residential buildings with flying eaves and exquisite carvings. Due to wars, floods, and other natural disasters, many famous buildings were severely damaged, and most no longer exist. Dafu Di gathers the remnants of history, collecting Ming and Qing dynasty furniture, architectural components, plaques, and ancestral portraits from the local community, and displaying them according to the living conditions of the time, showcasing the former glory of Sanhe.
Folk Custom Garden
The Folk Custom Garden features a special exhibition area dedicated to the Huai Army’s hometown, displaying military uniforms, command swords from the Beiyang Fleet, plaques inscribed by Li Hongzhang and Liu Mingchuan, weapons used during the Taiping Rebellion, and famous swords from around the world from the 18th and 19th centuries. It also includes handwritten orders by the patriotic general Zhang Zhizhong. The old distillery within the garden uses wax figures to recreate the rice wine brewing process from a century ago. Walking through the exhibit feels like stepping back in time to an old distillery, allowing visitors to experience the fascinating process of brewing fine wine and appreciate the depth of Chinese wine culture.
