Three Gorges Museum


As the Three Gorges Project approaches its completion, China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing was
opened to the public in June 2005. The museum faces the Chongqing People's Assembly Hall with the People
Square in between, both symbolic architectural features in the city of Chongqing.

Occupying the area of 30,000 square meters, the museum was completed and opened to the public on Jun 18,
2005 with the construction area of 42,500 square meters. It was the first large museum with the title of " China"
named by the State Council Office of the People's Republic of China beyond Beijing.

China Three Gorges Museum has another name - Chongqing Museum. It's not only a specified museum of
Three Gorges but also a comprehensive museum of history and art, a collection of over 170,000 pieces of
cultural relics. The five-floor construction contains four major exhibition halls, six special-theme exhibitions and
other functional parts.

The four major halls exhibit respectively, "The Splendid Three Gorges"-reflecting the history and culture of the Three Gorges; "Far-Ancient Ba Yu"-
introducing the origination of the local history; "The Urban Development of Chongqing"-stating the transitional process of Chongqing; "Anti-
Japanese Days " - telling the stories occurred in Anti - Japanese period.

Moreover, there are other six specialized exhibitions: "Paintings and Calligraphies in Different Historical Periods ", "The Currencies in Different
Periods of China", "the Sculpture in Han Dynasty", "Cultural Relics Donated by Mr. Li Chuli", "Minority Nationality Custom in Southwest China ",
"Ceramics in Different Periods of China ".

Another important exhibit is a 180panorama of war torn Chongqing depicting the city, when as the provisional
capital of China, it was subjected to substantial bombardment by the Japanese over several decades. There is
also a360cinema of Three Gorges that mainly shows the natural and social sceneries of Three Gorges prior to
the construction of the dam project.

It is not only the largest monographic museum, but is also a public undertaking for the preservation, education,
scientific research in respect of cultural relics and the natural environment of Chongqing and the Three Gorges
area.