February 2012

COMPACT NOSTALGIA

Guangzhou's mini museums have flourished under the care of custodians intent on keeping culture and history alive

WORDS MAY GUAN
PHOTOGRAPHY GARY MAK

With the flurry of mini museums opening in Guangzhou in the last two years, meandering around this 2,000-year-old city lets you stumble across them on every corner.

DONGPING PAWN SHOP

This ancient fortified castle that stands out in the city centre was was once the warehouse of the second largest pawnshop during the Qing Dynasty. Restored into a three-storey building, it revives the pawnshop's old look on the first floor with a statue of Zhao Gongming, the martial god of wealth, a cage-like counter with tiny window, ivory scales and a gold-test stone and record book. Narrow, wooden stairs lead upstairs, where the second floor displays antiques and documents from the old pawnshop, and the third floor is the activity centre.

"The activity centre is always crowded," says Ms Zhang, the curator, "we have free assessments by experts every Wednesday and Sunday so people bring over their patrimonies for evaluation. The Cantonese ceramic painting workshop is set up to rescue the declining industry. Artisans come over to promote and teach people the fine arts." If you wander around in the activity centre, you'll find souvenirs on sale: delicate Cantonese ceramic paintings by masters, jade ornaments, postcards — and even some good-priced pawned items!

WU XIAN GUAN (FIVE-GOD TAOISM TEMPLE)

Guangzhou's legend goes: five gods riding five rams in five-coloured clothes arrive at this land, delivering five types of grain to the land and wishing it eternal prosperity. And that's how Guangzhou became nicknamed 'Ram City' and 'Grain City'; and this is the temple dedicated to those five gods. The building's architecture incorporates traditional South China structural arts. There are interesting cultural events during the week: old Cantonese instrument performances, storytelling, and antique assessments.

DONGHAO CHONG MUSEUM

Donghao Chong, an ancient Guangzhou moat, is the only one of its kind that remains in the city today. The moat was once a famous market place for early-morning shopping. Unfortunately, it was seriously polluted and became infamous for its smelly drainage. Now the moat is clean again, with fish swimming inside and with trees and a park set up alongside it. The museum is a makeover of two 100-year-old villas right next to the moat, displaying the history of the moat's cleaning project as well as Guangzhou's culture over the past two centuries.

NANHAI COMMUNITY'S LECTURE HALL (JU WEN GE)

Follow the wall relief picturing the area's significant historical events at this hidden Lecture Hall. This is a mini version of the South China Culture Museum with an extensive collection of local features: ceramic, porcelain, carving, painting, Chinese calligraphy, other local artworks, herbal tea, and even the performance of Cantonese opera. Weekend courses are scheduled to showcase poems, painting, cooking and old movies.

CANTONESE CULTURE MUSEUM

Located in the old centre, the museum represents the scene of Guangzhou's ancient city with its 18 gates in a plaster model.

It is also a place to explore the Cantonese festivals and celebrations, and the unknown folk story behind the scene. Spend some time in the music room, reading room or tea room and mingle with the locals.

GUANGTA STREET FOLK MUSEUM

Guangta Street is less than one kilometre long yet it houses nearly 10 minorities. The array of housing and design in the windy lanes shows each ethnic group's mixed culture. The folk museum displays the minorities' culture and life through sculptures and books. There are weekend gatherings and festive celebrations.