National Stone Museum

Close to the Guiyuan Buddhist Temple in the Cuiwei Road of the Hanyang District, the National Stone Museum of Wuhan City is a good place to appreciate the rare rocks and the exquisite bonsais. Occupying an area of about 6,700 square meters (1.7 acres) and a floor area of 2,500 square meters (0.6 acre), the museum is in the garden style of the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) Dynasties which impress you as an ancient royal sense. At present, it has been receiving a large scale of visitors both domestic and foreign. Wuhan will let you know how enchanting unique stones would be and you will attracted by it.

There are eight indoor exhibition halls displaying more than 3,000 samples of rocks of a wide variety of kinds. Fancy rocks such as chrysanthemum, Peony, Lingbi and crystal stones, fossils and many others will satisfy your curiosity. All the rare rocks have been collected from all over China, except for one piece that is said to be from Malaysia. The effort that has gone into collecting the rocks and stones ensure the museum has a wealth of fancy and valuable exhibits to challenge your view and imagination. Almost all existing types of rock can be found in the museum. The National Stone Museum has taken part in many studies in the rock-appreciation field at both home and abroad.

The National Stone Museum also has plenty of cool fossils on display. There also are some commemorative stones, which hold some importance to historical events. Some of these have English explanations, while others don’t so you might have to simply admire the view (which is pretty easy to do). Another hall at the museum holds stones that formed into shapes representing animals and people.

In China, the appreciation of stones dates back to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and was popular all over the country until the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties. With a thousand-year history, Chinese have developed their particular interest in searching, collecting, and appreciating stones. This tendency gradually spread into Southeast Asia and Europe and has developed to one of international fashion. Statistics shows that there are at least 2000 stones aficionados all over the world.

An outdoor garden displaying root carvings and bonsais next to the Muoshui Lake presents another perceptive view of nature. It also displays a harmony between water and stone. More than sixty bonsais dotted around mini scenic spots provide a background for relaxation and contemplation. After seeing various kinds of stones, visitors can go to Guiyuan Temple which is just opposite the museum, on the other side of the road.

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