Magnate proud of his museum exhibits
Print Edition
Xia Xicheng has put a lot of money into his museum, but to him, the treasures it holds are priceless.
Xia, 68, is the creator and owner of a museum in Hunchun City, northeast China’s Jilin Province.
Covering an area of 35,000 square meters and hosting more than 140,000 exhibits, the museum features folk and ethnic culture, Chinese artifacts, revolution-themed items and the history of Hunchun.
Xia collected or bought all the items over the past 50 years. “When I was young, I applied to join the People’s Liberation Army but didn’t pass the test,” said Xia. “I have this fondness for military life, and that’s why I love PLA-themed collections.”
“The unique culture of Hunchun also mesmerizes me.” Xia’s museum has numerous artifacts and tools from local ethnic groups.
Private museums are gaining ground in China. According to data published by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in January, China had a total of 4,826 museums at the end of 2016, 1,266 of which were privately owned. Jilin has 14 such private museums.
Private museums can play important roles in exhibiting and preserving cultural heritage and can be a good supplement to public museums, according to Lu Jiansong, head of the department of cultural heritage and museology at Shanghai-based Fudan University.
However, running a private museum is not so easy.
For Xia, a successful entrepreneur, money is not an issue. But most of his family and friends discouraged him when he first had the idea to build his own museum, saying he would be better off investing the money elsewhere, which would yield him some decent profits.
But Xia stuck to his museum project anyway. Making money is not the point, he insisted.
“Now after seeing my museum, they can finally understand me,” Xia said.
In July 2017, the SACH issued a set of guidelines to facilitate the development of private museums, pledging better financial support and favorable tax treatment.
As a local lawmaker, Xia has also proposed measures to facilitate the development of the prefecture’s tourism and cultural industry.
“Culture is the soul of a city and a country. I hope the development of our cultural industry can help boost our cultural confidence,” he said.
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