The Yangzhou Lacquerware Museum is located in Yangzhou, a city renowned for its rich historical and cultural heritage and one of China’s four celebrated lacquerware centers. The city is famed for its exquisite traditional carved lacquer craftsmanship and elegant lacquer aesthetics. The museum houses an exceptional collection of lacquerware masterpieces spanning from the Ming and Qing dynasties to the modern era, showcasing the eighteen intricate processes—including carving, filling, piling, and polishing—that demonstrate extraordinary artistry. Each piece is like a frozen moment in time, embodying the enduring poetic grace of Eastern craftsmanship.
As you step into the exhibition halls, you can closely admire the remarkable art of carved lacquer: artisans wield their knives as brushes, carving reliefs of landscapes, flowers and birds, and human figures into layered lacquer surfaces. With each stroke, depth and dimension emerge on the lacquer, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow that resembles a sculpted painting. We especially recommend the “piled lacquer” display area, where layers of lacquer are built up like clouds and rosy dawn hues, producing a stunning three-dimensional relief effect—truly a “jewel among lacquerworks.” The museum also features an interactive experience zone where visitors can try their hand at traditional techniques such as gold-painting and carving, personally feeling the warmth of this millennia-old craft.
Yangzhou lacquerware originated in the Han dynasty and flourished during the Ming and Qing periods, once traveling overseas aboard the treasure ships of Zheng He, the famed Ming dynasty navigator. Wen Zhenheng, a Ming-era garden artist, praised lacquerware in his book *Treatise on Superfluous Things* as “shining like a mirror, warm and smooth like jade.” Moreover, Zhu He, a Ming dynasty master craftsman, founded the Jiading school of carved lacquer, elevating the art to its zenith. Treasures held in the museum—including a Qing dynasty carved lacquer screen and Republican-era bodiless lacquerware—testify to Yangzhou’s thousand-year legacy as the “Capital of Lacquer Art.”
The museum’s gift shop brims with beautifully curated items, from practical tea sets to stylish accessories, seamlessly blending traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design—perfect gifts for loved ones. Here, every detail whispers the profound depth of Eastern aesthetics, inviting you to savor the radiant splendor of lacquerware.
