Hubei Provincial Museum

The Hubei Provincial Museum, founded in 1953, is one of the country's eight museums supported by the national government. As the only comprehensive provincial museum, it contains 200,000 cultural relics ranging from ancient jade and bronze vessels, musical instruments, ceramics. It is also Hubei province's most important heritage collection, a research and display institution, and a national tourism site. The Museum is located in a lush garden setting district shade trees, and is laid out in three parts including temporary and comprehensive exhibition halls which feature its collection of exquisite artifacts from the Chu kingdom (770-476 BC). The building design is based on traditional Chu culture's architectural style. The complex features exhibition halls, high platforms, wide, multi-layered eaves, a large sloped roof and three buildings. In its great height, plan and other architectural features it reflects the overall layout Chu axial symmetry of a temple.