A new Zigong Salt Industry Historical Museum will be built in a second location to the original museum in Zigong city, Sichuan province, according to a news briefing on the museum's architecture design held on April 13.
Since the bid invitation for the new design was released on March 13, a total of 19 design institutions have applied for qualification, and following the initial round of appraisals, five have entered the next round. The institutions will submit design plans to the government of Ziliujing district, Zigong city, before July 3 for final review.
Occupying an area of 0.38 hectares, the new museum will include areas for exhibitions, public education, research, storage for collections, administration, and so on, with an investment of 75 million yuan. “The new museum is expected to be a leading themed museum with antique preservation, research, exhibition, scientific popularization, intelligent experience, and entertainment functions,” said Cheng Longgang, curator of the Zigong Salt Industry Historical Museum.
Built in 1736 by salt merchants from Shaanxi, the current museum was originally a fellow hall for Shaanxi traders who traveled to Zigong. It now holds a collection of 18,632 cultural relics covering about 20 categories like calligraphy, paintings, pottery, porcelain, bronze ware, sculptures, coins, embroidery works, and receipts related to the history of the local salt industry.
