Right line
The Yangzhou branch of the Chinese Poetry Museum opened on April 30 in Guangling district, Yangzhou, Jiangsu province.
It ranks as the second museum of its kind in China after its Beijing headquarters, adding another national-level landmark to this culturally rich city in East China with a history of over 2,500 years.
The Yangzhou branch of the Chinese Poetry Museum. [Photo/WeChat account: YZSX2021]
Guided by a curatorial concept of "Yangzhou: A city of poetry", the museum weaves a cultural journey from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24) to contemporary times.
Breaking away from the traditional exhibition mode, it has integrated immersive experiences, human-machine interactions, and digital technologies into spatial designs.
With a single click on an interactive poetic map, for example, visitors are transported into the worlds depicted in classical Chinese poems. Through virtual reality, they will be able to experience immersive scenes of individuals in ancient times reciting verses.
"This lets poetry reach more people — not just in books, but something they can feel, touch, and really experience," a staff member said.
The inauguration of the Chinese Poetry Museum's Yangzhou branch will help Guangling district create a more comprehensive museum network that covers the realms of Chinese poetry, intangible cultural heritage, merchant culture, and ancient architecture, said Lang Jun, the district's head.
The exhibition features a classic line of poetry describing Yangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: YZSX2021]
Through the ages, many men and women of letters have shared their deep love for Yangzhou. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), to see off his friend, poet Li Bai wrote: "In the mist and flowers of spring, go to Yangzhou in March", a line that is still famous today and which has invited streams of visitors to this land of prosperity and poetry.
