Go to Yichang, Hubei, to be a "Curator": 3 Must-Visit Dazzling Exhibition Halls

Among them, there are many spots recommended by me for photo opportunities, making it great to act as a traveler with a poetic vibe. This time, I will first recommend several must-see exhibition halls... How can you miss this city of Yichang?

The new building has a square shape, with four floors, and by the end of 2023, it houses about 59,000 cultural relics. (Image: Official Website)

National First-Class Museum | Yichang Museum

The Yichang Museum was awarded the fourth batch of national first-class museums in 2020, and is one of the 327 museums rated as first-class by the country.

The new building of the Yichang Museum was planned in 2013, with a total investment of about 736 million RMB, completed in 2019 and officially opened to the public in September.

In the "Survival of the Fittest" exhibition hall, rare animal specimens can be seen. (Image: Official Website)

The main building is based on the concept of "Window of History," integrating elements of the Ba Chu historical culture, forming a rich, thematically distinctive iconic building that reflects Yichang's historical and cultural characteristics.

The main theme of the exhibition hall is "From the Gorges to the Vast Sky," with three main sections and multiple different branch exhibition themes. These include basic displays such as "Ancient Xiling," "Bachu Yi Tomb," "Thousands of Years in the Gorges," "Modern Yichang," special exhibitions like "Charm of the Three Gorges," "Memories of the Ancient City," "Elegance of Literature and Ink," and featured displays including "Digital Exhibition Hall," "Exploration and Innovation," "Natural Selection," showcasing over 59,000 sets of collections (including folklore, fossils, and animal specimens).

On the third floor, the "Charm of the Three Gorges" exhibition area displays local customs such as weddings in Yichang. (Image: Official Website) The "Memories of the Ancient City" is located on the fourth floor, providing a 2,600-square-meter rooftop open-air exhibition. (Image: Official Website)

Yichang Museum

Address: Qiu Road, Wujia District, Yichang City, Hubei Province Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00 (Closed on Mondays) Admission: Free Phone: +86 717 697 9518

Incorporating Landscape into Architectural Aesthetics | Yichang Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

Just an 11-minute walk from the Yichang Museum, there’s an Urban Planning Exhibition Hall worth visiting and taking pictures.

Entrance of the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. (Image: Official Website) Entrance of the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. (Image: Official Website)

Covering 30,000 square meters, with a total investment of about 350 million RMB, the Yichang Planning Exhibition Hall was designed by the East China Urban Architecture Design Institute of Huajian Group, themed "A Pleasant City, A Prosperous Place," and arranged around the concept of "Walking in Yichang, Picking Up Treasures in Yiling" — focusing on the city's "urban transformation" from ancient to modern times.

The architectural style of this hall follows the natural contours of the mountains, with undulating shapes that echo the continuous mountain ranges of Yichang. Additionally, it pays homage to traditional Chinese elements such as the sloping roof (also known as the oblique roof), seamlessly blending modern design with cultural heritage.

The Yichang Planning Exhibition Hall is one of the important landmarks in Yichang, besides being centrally located, it is known that after the surrounding Qiusuo Square and Bailin River Wetland Park are completed, visiting this hall will allow you to experience the exquisite design of "viewing water to the south, scenery to the west, and mountains to the east and north."

Upon closer inspection of the building's surface, it uses double-layer aluminum panels, with a gold inner layer and a gradient perforated aluminum outer layer. (Image: Official Website) The main body is two floors above ground, partially three floors, and partially one floor underground. (Image: Official Website)

The exhibition hall combines publicity, education, reception, and academic exchange. Moreover, it showcases a beautiful blueprint for Yichang's scientific development in the future, allowing visitors to gain an in-depth understanding of this city through various exhibition areas and spaces, offering diverse sensory experiences!

At the 2024 National Territorial Spatial Planning Exhibition Annual Conference, the Ministry of Education announced the Yichang Urban Planning Exhibition Hall as one of the first natural resources and ecological civilization "Great Ideological and Political Class" practical teaching bases and "Learning Strong Country · iNature" learning site units, which is a wonderful achievement!

Don’t miss the model that condenses over 2,800 square kilometers of Yichang into 1,550 square meters, combined with sound, light, and electricity to present a lively performance. (Image: Official Website)

Yichang Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

Address: Gongyi 2nd Road, Bailin River, Wujia District, Yichang City, Hubei Province Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00 (Closed during lunch hours, closed on Mondays) Admission: Free Phone: +86 717 698 6001

Art Under the Law of Tai Chi | One Two Art Museum

There is a privately-owned art gallery in the Wujia Gang District worth visiting, and its name is "One Two Art Gallery."

The museum's sign also embodies a design of reality and illusion. The art is designed by Dao Pu Architecture, illustrated by a perspective view of the museum.

The name originates from the curator’s advocacy of Taoist philosophy, hinting at a famous saying — "In life, there are more disappointments than joys; often think of one or two," meaning the hope for everyone to think more about art and enrich their spirit.

The external square is paved with blue granite, leading visitors into the museum through a path of bamboo.

The One Two Art Museum consists of one main hall and two auxiliary halls, with an architectural design concept based on “The Beginning of All Things, The Great Way is Simple, and Complexity Arises from Simplicity,” creating a unique art space for visitors, likely echoing the Taoist saying "Tai Chi produces the two forms, the two forms give birth to the four images."

Thus, this museum does not follow a grand luxurious style; Dao Pu Architecture was commissioned for the design, blending Zen-style architecture with a minimalist approach — for example, from the external square to the main hall, it does not extravagantly design the entrance, but instead uses blue granite as a path, leading visitors through a bamboo forest.

This large tree is a major photo spot in the One Two Art Museum. Tai Chi's black and white colors are represented here with a white water courtyard space paired with a black water pool.

Hall 1 is a permanent exhibition hall, featuring five exhibition areas, including seal carving, ancient ceramics, calligraphy and painting, and ancient tea utensils, housing many culturally and historically significant artifacts, famous works, and seals.

In the deep black exhibition hall, wooden partitions let white light filter into the room.

In addition to the permanent exhibition hall, Hall 2 serves as a temporary exhibition space, regularly holding various themed art exhibitions!

The museum organizes different exhibitions regularly. (Images above are from the One Two Art Museum Weibo)

For me, from the decor of every room and corner, one can see the curator's taste and vision for collecting, making it impossible to miss. Here, any corner captured in a "photo" brings unexpected aura.

One Two Art Museum

Address: No. 6 Dongzhan Road, Wujia District, Yichang City, Hubei Province Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00 (Closed on Mondays) Admission: Free (No reservation needed for individual visits; for groups of 15 or more, please inquire on weekdays) Phone: +86 717 655 3000