One Day in Shenzhen: Shenzhen History Museum

This article was originally published on September 24, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The Shenzhen Museum sits under the east end of the City Hall
(Shimin Zhongxin") complex. Entrance is around the corner in this shot.

Although the Shenzhen History Museum opened in late 2008, I just recently visited it for the first time. And it's nothing short of world-class.

Remember, this "New Hall" faces east at the east end of the Shenzhen Citizens' Center ("City Hall"). It is not to be confused with the "Old Hall" next to the Lizhi Park, which is now dedicated to "Ancient Art."

The four permanent exhibition halls showcase Ancient Shenzhen, Modern Shenzhen, Shenzhen Folk Culture (all on the 2nd floor), and Shenzhen's Reform and Opening-up (on the 3rd floor, where there's also a rooftop verandah). A Children's Hall and changing exhibitions can be found on the first floor. See the Gallery below for some of the life-sized cultural dioramas.

There is ample signage in English, and an Audio Guide in French, Japanese, Korean, English, or Chinese can be rented for just 10rmb (with a 200rmb deposit).

The halls contain photos, artifacts, reproductions, and life-sized dioramas of historic moments and cultural celebrations. One of my favorites was "Paying Formal Respect to Confucius on Entering School."

A couple of "squatters" look for their house under the floor

On the 3rd floor there's a plexiglass floor with an extensive miniature model of Shenzhen itself. I saw people squatting down over a section to locate their houses!

This bus transported Deng Xiaoping around Shenzhen on his 1984 visit.

In the same area is the actual bus used to transport the late leader Deng Xiaoping on his 1984 visit, and a bronze statue of him planting a tree in Xianhu (Fairy Lake) Park in 1992. The shovel and bucket he used are also on display.

Admission is free. The museum is open 10am-6pm Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays except national holidays); last admission is at 5:30.

The History Museum's sister institution can be found in my article on "The Shenzhen Ancient Art Museum."

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