Shandong Provincial Museum

Introducing Shandong Provincial Museum
Shandong Provincial Museum, founded in 1954, is the first large-scale, provincial, integrated topographic museum in China. The museum was established in two parts, the eastern part by the British Baptist missionary J. S. Whitewright in 1904 located in Guangzhi Temple in Guangzhi Temple Street, which used to be one of the earliest museums within the boundaries of China; the western part in 1942 located in the World Red Swastika Society in Shangxin Street, which used to be the seat of a religious society which combines Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. The former site of the eastern part was turned to the natural specimen showroom, and the western part the historical relics showroom, when Shandong Provincial Museum was founded.

Shandong Provincial Museum Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Shandong Sheng Bowuguan 山东省博物馆
• Best Time to Visit: All year around
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 1 to 2 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Culture and History
• Opening Hours: 09:00 - 17:00 Tuesday to Sunday
• Entrance Fee: Free
• Address: No.11899 Jingshi Road, Lixia District, Jinan, Shandong Province

What to expect at Shandong Provincial Museum

Shandong Provincial Museum has a collection of 140,000 historical relics, 130,000 documents of modern times, and over 8,000 natural specimens. These cultural heritage spans from Dawenkou Culture (3500- 2500BC) and Longshan Culture, bronzes from the Shang (17th century BC-11th century BC) and Zhou eras (1766-770BC), and Bamboo Slips of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), right through to the modern times.

The exhibits in Shandong Provincial Museum include a number of exquisite Buddhist carvings, stone seals and tablets from the Han Dynasty, and other agricultural objects excavated from Neolithic sites in the area. There is also a calendar dating from 134BC, which is believed to be the oldest one in China.

The basic exhibitions are: Shandong's History & Primitive Society, and Fossils of Ancient Extinct life. Exhibitions on special topics include the History of Porcelain Art, Stone Figure-Carving, etc. Besides, Shandong Provincial Museum has held more than 50 large-scale exhibitions such as Display of Shandong's Historical Cultural Relics.

How to get to Shandong Provincial Museum
• Take Bus No. BRT5, 115, 119, K139 or K160 and get off at Sheng Bowuguan Station.
• Take Bus No.18, 62, 63 or 150 and get off at Yijian Xincun Station.

Additional travel advice on Shandong Provincial Museum
• The museum is closed on Mondays expect for public holidays.
• Keep your passport on you to claim the ticket.
• Please keep quiet in the museum.
• It is not allowed to use flash or tripod to take pictures.