How to “visit” museums

For me, who travels alone all the time and loves history and antiquities, museums are definitely a must-visit destination. Basically every time I go to a provincial capital city, I go to the local museum.

These days Gradually, I went to many museums over the years, and gradually changed from just "layman watching the fun" to slowly exploring some simple methods

In recent years, there has been more and more publicity about museums, and the public's enthusiasm for museums has also increased. The number is gradually increasing, especially taking children to visit museums on weekends, which has become the choice of many parents. Reservations for many popular museums are also very hot, and you need to stay up late to grab tickets, such as the National Expo, Shaanxi Expo, Hubei Expo, etc.

But for most people Generally speaking, visiting a museum is indeed just a quick tour. After all, there are specialties in the art field, and it is indeed difficult to understand the history and value of various exhibits

Nowadays, basically all museums will provide audio explanation services, either manually or Renting an explanation device will indeed be helpful, but I have used it myself. My intuitive feeling is that many explanations are point-like and will only tell you the relevant knowledge of the current exhibit, but lack the correlation between them

Point-based knowledge is always not easy to understand and remember. It is possible to walk around for three hours and listen for three hours. It seems that you know a lot, but you cannot fully describe it. When others ask about what you have seen, I can’t say anything, and I’ll forget it after a while. The next time I visit a new museum, I’ll have to start from scratch

In fact, the overall exhibition structure of major museums is similar, although different regions will vary according to Adjust and highlight the key points according to your own characteristics, but the core composition is basically the same. As long as you know the basic structure, 80 parts of each museum are actually covered. The only difference is that these structures have different characteristics.

Once you understand the basic structure, you will have a complete framework in your mind. When you go to the museum with this framework, you can get the introductions and text descriptions of the exhibits in the museum and place them in the frame. After walking around for a while, a shelf filled with rich collections was built

In this way, whether it is for one's own understanding, memory, perception, or external recording and retelling, everything is covered. Very helpful

As I go to more and more museums, there will be more and more heavy shelves, and the shelves in each museum will be connected in series. At certain moments, they will suddenly I have some new insights and have reached a state of comprehensive understanding, which is a step to a higher level

Summarizing is always a necessary method to master knowledge

In order to urge myself to put these years into practice I have recorded my feelings and experiences about the museum, and I also hope to give some reference to friends who like to understand culture and inheritance. I plan to write a series of "Visiting the Museum", starting with the big frame, and then introducing some special exhibitions

Non-professionals, just hobbies. If there are any mistakes, please point them out and *** communicate with others

lt; Classification of museumsgt;

lt; In comprehensive museums Classification of exhibition hallsgt;

lt; How to quickly build a framework for visiting museumsgt;

lt; How to see inside the exhibition hallgt;

lt; Typical museum cases Explain gt;

lt; Visiting tips gt;

Let me ask a question first: How many museums are there in China?

The exact number is actually difficult to answer. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 5,000 museums in the country, including 204 nationally rated first-class museums.

Is this number beyond the daily level? Imagination~~

In general perception, there may only be two or three famous museums in a city, but in fact there are many museums in China, some of which are smaller because they are more specialized. So they are not very famous

In terms of classification, China’s museums can generally be divided into the following four categories:

Social and historical categories, culture and art categories, natural science categories, and comprehensive categories

Society

Social history museums are museums whose main content is to study and reflect the development process of social history, important events and figures in history, such as the Chinese History Museum, Xi'an Banpo Site Museum, Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, etc.

The themes of these museums all revolve around the word history, but the focus is different. For example, the Chinese History Museum covers a larger historical scope, while the Xi'an Banpo Site Museum only covers the history of the Banpo Site, focusing on a distance The Neolithic matrilineal clan settlements of about 6,000 years ago are on display

Culture and art museums include paintings, calligraphy, arts and crafts, literature, drama, architecture and other themes, such as the Palace Museum and Luoyang Sancai Art Museum , Poly Art Museum, etc.

This type of museum displays more from an artistic perspective, focusing on reflecting the artistic value of the exhibits. For example, the same four-goat square statue in the social history museum reflects the commercial value of the exhibits. The social and cultural characteristics of the Zhou Dynasty, but in art museums, more analysis is done on the superb casting technology and aesthetic value

Natural science museums also cover a wide range of topics, with the main purpose being science popularization and more professional From a scientific perspective, some specific themes are displayed. Natural museums, geological museums, and science and technology museums in various places are within the scope. At the same time, such museums are also a good choice for taking children to visit, which is both educational and entertaining

It is a museum with dual nature of social science and natural science. Many of the well-known museums we often mention are comprehensive museums

For example: National Museum, Nanjing Museum, Shaanxi Museum, etc., major Provincial museums are comprehensive museums. The most well-known and popular ones are usually comprehensive museums

The first three types of museums are relatively professional and have a smaller focus. Niche is more difficult to introduce from a general perspective. Later in this series, I may choose a few museums that I have been to and like to introduce. In this article, we will focus on: comprehensive museums

Exhibition halls in comprehensive museums are generally divided into two categories: basic exhibitions and temporary special exhibitions

Basic exhibitions are long-term exhibitions in the museum and generally rarely change. Unless there are major adjustments, they may be closed for a period of time. Time, update displays and exhibits

Temporary special exhibitions are temporary exhibitions, generally lasting from 2 or 3 months to half a year. The exhibits may be temporarily borrowed from other places, or only for a short period of time. It is open to the public and cannot be seen after the time is over

The basic exhibitions are generally free to visit, while the special exhibitions are usually charged, of course there are also free ones

Since the special exhibitions have many themes, the comparison It is difficult to list. The theme introduction of the exhibition hall here only talks about the basic display part

According to the characteristics of different cities, the basic display is also diverse and has various names. However, overall, the following three categories are basically Can include:

1. An introduction to the history of the region, usually from ancient times to modern times; for example: the "Ancient China Exhibition" at the National Museum

2. The region , a representative introduction to a more glorious historical period that is different from other places, or an introduction around a well-known historical event, or an introduction around a well-known archaeological event; for example: the Republic of China Pavilion of Nanjing Museum, Hunan The Changsha Mawangdui Han Tomb display in the museum

3. The more prominent intangible cultural heritage of the region, or exhibitions centered on famous figures, politicians, revolutionaries or artists; for example: Zhang Daqian of the Sichuan Museum Calligraphy and Painting Hall; Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall of Nanjing Museum

After knowing the classification of museum exhibition halls, we grasped the core theme of visiting the museum. Although the architectural forms of museums in various places are different, the internal designs are different, and the names of each exhibition hall are different, The styles are different, but they remain the same

Before you go shopping, you can do some simple homework. Take a look at the official website introduction. There are several open exhibition halls. According to the above introduction, you can distinguish which ones are basic displays and which ones are Special exhibitions, you can selectively visit special exhibitions according to your own interests; such as

If you don’t have time, there will be exhibition halls distributed at the entrance of the museum. Take a few minutes to look at it and you can get a general idea.

For the basic display exhibition halls, distinguish them according to the above three categories

First Category: Introduction to the history of the area, which is basically available in all comprehensive museums. The difference is only the display time period and method

The second and third categories should be viewed specifically according to different museums

After classifying the basic displays as above, it is usually recommended to read the historical introduction first. It is generally more comprehensive and easy to understand. It does not require a very professional background. Many museums will have several exhibition halls for historical introduction. The logical line distribution of Aiming at the enlargement and detailed introduction of a specific highlight in the region, these exhibition halls will require a little professional knowledge and background. You can choose the topic you are interested in and check some information

After such classification, no matter what In this kind of museum, there are so many exhibition halls with various names, all of which are clearly and properly placed in the established framework, which is easy to sort out and remember, laying the foundation for a "good" museum visit

Exhibition Hall After the large frame is built, you can fill the frame with rich materials as mentioned above. Where do the materials come from? Of course, they come from the exhibits and introductions in the exhibition hall

Each exhibition hall has There are logical lines for designing exhibitions, most of which are timelines (for example, from ancient times to modern times), and a few are divided by themes (for example, according to scenes of clothing, food, housing, and transportation)

Generally, according to logical lines, they are divided into There are several small parts. There will be a preface at the front, and each sub-part will have an introduction. After reading the introduction of each part, the logical line will be very clear, and you can probably understand the following exhibits and what the theme is.

The next step is to the exhibits. The first thing to make clear is what is the purpose of the exhibits and where is the value of the exhibits?

The purpose of the exhibits is to make them more vivid to explain and support the text, and the main value of the exhibits is firstly the artistic value, but the archaeological value

Understanding these two points, it is not difficult to understand that the exhibits in each part also revolve around this part The theme unfolds, then when we see an exhibit, we only need to think about two points:

? 1. How does this exhibit prove the existence of this period of history;

?2. Does this exhibit have high value from an artistic point of view? For example, the Siyang Fangzun has both the above two very high values, so it has become a national treasure cultural relic

Of course, not all exhibits, All have the above two values, or in other words, the value of some exhibits is not particularly high. My personal habit is to focus on:

1. Exhibits that can mark key historical processes, such as engravings Utensils with inscriptions; exhibits with characteristics that are obviously different from other items of the same period, such as the picture of a human-faced bronze tripod in the Hunan Museum at the front. It can be said that there are very few bronzes decorated with human faces from the same period;

2. From a personal aesthetic point of view, I prefer the exhibits.

This is purely a personal hobby, but visiting museums is inherently personal entertainment, and benevolent people have different opinions. Only when you see what you are interested in will you be happy

If you are willing to do your homework in advance, go to the official website to see the introduction of the treasures , it will be more helpful

If you don’t have time, focus on the exhibits that are better protected and displayed in the middle, which are generally more valuable

In this part, I take Shanxi Museum as the example For example, let me briefly explain what I saw and gained after visiting Shanxi Museum. The overall method will use the parts introduced above without any other professional extensions

? Shanxi Museum is a comprehensive introduction to the history, culture and art of Shanxi Province. A comprehensive museum, a national first-class museum, located in Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province

? There are more than ten large and small exhibition halls in the museum, including 12 basic exhibition rooms, which introduce in detail the historical development footprint and splendid civilization of Shanxi Province. .

?The seven exhibition halls (Cradle of Civilization, Traces of Xia and Shang Dynasties, Jin Dynasty Hegemony, National Melting Pot, Buddhist Heritage, Hometown of Opera, Ming and Qing Dynasty Shanxi Merchants) introduce Shanxi Province from ancient times in chronological order. The historical development process of civilization over millions of years until the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

?The exhibition selects representative civilizational features in each historical stage, such as: the past and present life of the Jin State, which was once powerful during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period; the national integration during the Qin and Han Dynasties; the peak of Buddhism during the Southern and Northern Dynasties; the Ming and Qing Dynasties; The prosperous Shanxi merchants during the period and so on.

?In addition, the other five exhibition halls (Civil Architecture, Landscape Elites, Calligraphy and Painting, Square World, Porcelain Garden Art) are organized into special topics, ranging from wooden architecture, exquisite jade, From the perspective of precious calligraphy and painting, currency development, and ceramic art, the rich and splendid material civilization of the land of Sanjin is displayed, allowing us to experience the different charm of this land

The museum has rich exhibits, numerous treasures, and vivid It vividly shows us the process of ancient civilization, and also makes us deeply feel the rich imagination and creativity of ancient people

For example: Bronze ware from the Western Zhou Dynasty: Bird Zun, unearthed from the first generation In the tomb of the Marquis of Jin, which is nearly 3,000 years old, there is an inscription at the bottom, "The Marquis of Jin made a tribute to the Taishi Baozun Yi", which confirms the history of the Jin State and allows us to understand the sacrificial culture of the ancestral temple at that time;

The overall shape of the bird statue is like a phoenix standing and looking back. The tail of the phoenix is ??bent downward into the shape of an elephant head, forming a three-point support with the phoenix's legs. The shape is unique and beautiful, and rich in imagination

Is the above very simple, but also quite clear?

Due to the written form, it may look more formal, and speaking can add a lot of interest, but the overall framework is very clear

Okay, that’s it for this introductory article. In the next article, we will talk in detail about a type of exhibit that almost every museum has: bronzes, including their origins, basic classifications, etc. Welcome Communication

Non-professionals, just hobbies. If there are any shortcomings, you are welcome to correct me and communicate. If you like it, please like and forward it to favorites, and you can also give me some motivation to write~~

1. Generally, provincial capital cities will have provincial museums and municipal museums. The most well-known ones are provincial museums. Pay attention to the distinction.

2. Except for special circumstances, general museums are open year-round. They are closed on Mondays and have general opening hours. Entry to the museum is prohibited from 9:00 to 17:00, and starting from 16:00. Friends who are traveling to visit the museum should pay attention to the reserved time

3. Most of the basic exhibition halls of the museum are free, and special exhibitions generally charge a fee. ; entry is all real-name, and you need to bring your ID card

Finally, here are the reservation methods for some of the more popular museums

National Museum:

? Reservation entrance : Search the National Museum/National Museum official website on WeChat; Number of people limited: The number of reservations per day is 8,000; Reservation time: 1-7 days in advance, reservations will be stopped before 16:00 the day before the visit; Popularity: Five stars

Shaanxi History Museum

? Reservation entrance: Search Shaanxi History Museum on WeChat; Number of people limit: 9,000 people can make reservations per day; Reservation time: Basic exhibition tickets 14 days in advance (including the day), Tang Dynasty Heritage Tickets for the exhibition and mural hall can be purchased 3 days in advance (including the day); Popularity: Five Stars

Nanjing Museum

? Reservation entrance: Search Nanjing Museum on WeChat; Reservation time: 1~ in advance 20 days; popularity: four stars

Hunan Museum

? Reservation entrance: WeChat search Hunan Museum/Hunan Museum official website; number limit: 9,000 people can make reservations per day; reservation time: 3 days in advance (including the day); popularity: four stars

Shanxi Museum

? Reservation entrance: Search Shanxi Museum on WeChat; number limit: 4,500 people can make reservations per day; reservation time : 3 days in advance (including the day); Popularity: three stars