There are a large number of museums in east China’s province of Jiangsu, many of which are known for their beautiful parks and distinctive gardens. Therefore, they are good places for spring outings to learn about history, relax and get in touch with nature.
The Nanjing city wall museum is one of them. The museum showcases the history and beauty of the city wall.
Exterior view of the Nanjing city wall
Standing outside the museum, the glass curtain wall is opaque, and the interior of the museum cannot be seen from the outside, while standing inside, the Barbican ofZhonghua Gate clearly comes into view.
The city wall bricks in the exhibition hall are also very impressive. There are more than 700 city bricks of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) engraved with inscriptions, like books placed on the bookshelf catching audience’s eyes.
What were foreigners’ first impressions of Nanjing city wall in history? Some original foreign language books displayed in the exhibition hall can tell us. The earliest is the 1639 Latin version of China in the 16th Century: The Journals of Matteo Ricci. Referring to the city walls, Matteo Ricci, who had been to Nanjing three times, said,"In terms of beauty and majesty... indeed, perhaps few other cities’ walls can match or surpass Nanjing’s."
The Italian version of The History of the Great and Renowned Monarchy of China published in 1643 was written by Portuguese Zeng Dezhao, the Chinese name of Alvarus de Semedo. In his work, Nanjing's imperial palace, the pagoda of Grand Bao'en Temple, city walls, and observatory astonished him.The 1668 Latin edition of Nieuhoff's Travels in China was written by the Dutch explorer, painter and poet John Nieuhoff. In 1656, he accompanied a Dutch East India Company mission to China, recorded what he saw and felt along the way in words and sketches, and drew many pictures including the Nanjing city wall.
Exterior view of the Nanjing city wall museum
Climbing to the flat roof of the museum, you can enjoy the beautiful spring scenery all around: the city walls are surrounded by green trees and cherry blossoms. You'll have a panoramic view of East Zhonghua Gate Historical Culture Block, Barbican of Zhonghua Gate, and the Glazed Pagoda of Grand Bao'en Temple.
(Source: Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism)
