The Changshu Museum boasts a vast collection of artifacts

Every time I visit a new place, my favorite spots to see are the museums and libraries. Museums represent the historical essence of the area, while libraries reflect the cultural demands of the citizens. The Changshu Museum is the only national first-class museum in the county-level cities of the Yangtze River Delta. It currently houses over 16,000 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, ranging from the Songze and Liangzhu cultures to the period of the New Democratic Revolution. The collection mainly consists of calligraphy, ceramics, and jade, with 21 national first-class cultural relics and 261 second-class cultural relics, ranking at the forefront among national museums of the same level. A total of 155 pieces of the museum's calligraphy and paintings are listed in the 'Catalogue of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy and Paintings'. Liangzhu culture jades, Six Dynasties celadon, and Ming dynasty official kiln porcelains have been selected for several editions of the 'Essence of Chinese Cultural Relics Exhibition'. One of the treasures of the Changshu Museum is the 'Divine Beast Pattern Jade Cong' from the Liangzhu culture, which is carved with 24 sets of divine, human, and animal patterns on four sides, each with six layers, making it one of the most exquisite jade Congs of its kind in the country.