An aerial view of Nantong Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

Nantong Museum was established in 1905 by Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a renowned patriot, industrial magnate, educator, and philanthropist in Nantong.

As the first public museum in China, it was listed among the key cultural relics under state protection in 1988, and in 2008 it became one of the first state-level museums.

A statue of Zhang Jian at Nantong Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

The protected zone at the museum consists of four buildings, including one called Haonan Villa, where Zhang used to live.

The southern building, the museum's main exhibition hall, showcases cultural relics and specimens, the middle building houses the earliest meteorological observation organization in China, and the northern building is used to display carvings, calligraphy and paintings.

The new exhibition building at Nantong Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

Haonan Villa, the first residential building of Zhang in Nantong, integrates both traditional Chinese and western architectural styles and is now used to showcase the life and achievements of Zhang.

In 2005, Professor Wu Liangyong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, was responsible for designing the museum's new exhibition building, which covers an area of 6,330 square meters.

People admire the specimens on display at Nantong Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: chongchuanonline]

Today, with a total area of 70,000 sq m, the Nantong Museum is a complex of buildings featuring both a rich cultural background and beautiful design. It is an ideal place to learn about Nantong's culture and history.