Fellow townsman contributes to hometown’s development of museum industry

Chen Lvsheng, former deputy director of the National Museum of China, was born in Yangzhong county of Jiangsu province. As a renowned museum scientist, he has been committed to revitalizing historical relics by establishing six museums in Yangzhong, Changzhou and some other places.

“I grew up in Yangzhong from a young age until I was admitted to Nanjing Academy of Arts in 1978. I studied in Nanjing for 7 years, with 4 years as an undergraduate and 3 years as a graduate student. After leaving Nanjing in 1985 and working in Beijing, I always miss everything from the past. I believe that all of my cognition, values, and some of my lifestyle habits are closely related to Yangzhong,” said Chen Lvsheng, Former deputy director of the National Museum of China.

Chen Lvsheng is a famous artist, art critic, and museum expert in China. In his over forty years of career, he has been committed to enabling excellent Chinese culture to better go abroad and overseas. He has traveled around the world, communicated with more than 370 museums worldwide, and planned many large-scale exhibitions. He has also witnessed the staggering development of China's public cultural undertakings. However, no matter how long he has left the hometown and how far he has gone, the longing for his hometown has always been lingering in his heart.

“We have seen that the public now relies more on museums and art galleries for culture than ever before, and we have seen a significant doubling in the number of visitors to many museums. I lived in an era where there were no museums or art galleries in Yangzhong. Basically, aesthetic education was zero. In 1998, I established the first museum in my hometown, the Oil Lamp Museum, in the hope of providing a basic place for our future generations to learn history and aesthetics,” said Chen Lvsheng, Former deputy director of the National Museum of China.

In 2020, Chen Lvsheng returned to his hometown in Xinzhi Village in Xinba Town, Yangzhong where he built the Chen Lvsheng Museum Group at the former site of the village administration. This three-story bamboo facade has distinct characteristics. In the Han Culture Museum on the first floor, cultural relics such as Qin bricks and pottery granaries form a row, allowing viewers to carefully observe from the nearest distance. 

“Today, when reality and history shine, we see a relay of several generations that has given us what we are today. Therefore, we need to use various means, including the educational function in public cultural service facilities such as museums and art galleries, to enable many viewers today to understand the existence of the past through the interpretation of relevant historical relics and cultural heritage, and to appreciate the hardships and efforts that have been made,” said Chen.

Whether it is to try the visual expression of the first prize project of the State Natural Science Award, or to travel around the country to collect historical relics related to the Yangtze River and prepare for the construction of a new museum, Chen Lvsheng, who is over sixty years old, is still making innovations in the exhibition of natural resources.

This year is his second participation in the Jiangsu Development Summit. In his view, the face of his hometown is changing with each passing day. While celebrating the tremendous changes, he should also continue to protect the common spiritual home through inheritance and protection.

“I hope to learn about my hometown and the development of Jiangsu through the Jiangsu Development Summit. More importantly, I also have a responsibility for the development of Jiangsu, which is to contribute my wisdom and professional talents. I think what I can do is to use my own personal experience to unleash the unique charm of our historical and cultural resources in the process of modernization and showcase the unique brilliance of Jiangsu,” said Chen.