Explore the thousand-year-old umbrella art and immerse yourself in the intangible cultural heritage aesthetics of the Jiangnan mist

### **In-depth Tour Guide of China Umbrella Museum**
**——Explore the thousand-year-old umbrella art and immerse yourself in the intangible cultural heritage aesthetics in the misty rain of Jiangnan**

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## **🌂 Museum highlights**
### **1. The history of umbrellas**
- **Timeline Exhibition Area**: From the "簦" (ancient umbrella) of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period to modern craftsmanship, showing 4,000 years of evolution.
- **Treasure of the Museum**:
✔️ Southern Song Dynasty oil-paper umbrella (millennium-old craftsmanship)
✔️ Qing Dynasty imperial ceremonial umbrella (gold embroidered dragon pattern, symbolizing imperial power)

### **2. The Aesthetics of Jiangnan Misty Rain**
- **Immersive Exhibition Hall**:
- Projection creates the scene of "Dai Wangshu's Rainy Alley", with bluestone pavement + virtual rain curtain.
- The oil-paper umbrella suspended art installation looks like flowers blooming in the rain.

### **3. Live demonstration of intangible cultural heritage crafts**
- **Master Umbrella Making Show**: Every Saturday afternoon, the 72 steps of making the "West Lake Silk Umbrella" (bamboo frame, paper pasting, flower painting) are demonstrated.
- **Interactive experience**: You can try hand-painting mini oil-paper umbrellas (reservation required, fee ¥50-100).

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## **📍 Useful Information**
- **Address**: No. 336, Xiaohe Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou (adjacent to **China Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum** and **China Fan Museum**)
- **transportation**:
- Metro Line 5, Grand Canal Station, Exit D, 10 minutes walk.
- Get off the water bus at Gongchenqiao Station and visit the Canal Old Street.
- **Tickets**: **Free** (exchange tickets with ID card)
- **Opening hours**: 9:00-16:30 (closed on Mondays)

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## **📸 Must-visit scenes**
1. **"Rain Alley" Poetic Area**: Wear Hanfu or plain long skirt, hold an umbrella and take silhouette photos.
2. **Umbrella Array Ceiling**: Hundreds of hanging silk umbrellas form a colorful dome.
3. **Window view of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop**: Take a photo of the silhouette of a craftsman making an umbrella through the carved wooden window.

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## **🎨 In-depth experience recommendation**
### **1. Handcraft workshop (reservation required 1 day in advance)**
- **Activity**: Draw an oil-paper umbrella and assemble a mini bamboo umbrella frame.
- **Duration**: 1-2 hours, finished product can be taken away.

### **2. Theme Cultural and Creative Procurement**
- **Must-buy list**:
✔️ West Lake Silk Umbrella Bookmark (¥25)
✔️ Waterproof oil-paper umbrella for sunny and rainy days (¥150-300)
✔️ "Chinese Umbrella Art" Picture Book (¥98)

### **3. Joint Tour Route**
- **One-day Canal Route**:
Umbrella Museum → Qiaoxi Historic District (lunch at "Yuanzi Restaurant") → Watch the sunset at Gongchen Bridge

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## **⚠️ Visiting Tips**
1. **Avoid the crowd**: It is more crowded on weekend afternoons, so it is recommended to enter on weekday mornings or 1 hour before closing.
2. **Navigation tools**:
- Free audio guide (deposit ¥200).
- Scan the QR code to listen to the audio narration of "The Story of the Umbrella" (suitable for children).
3. **Dressing advice**: The museum is well air-conditioned, so please bring a thin jacket.

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### **🎯 Suitable for people**
- **Cultural enthusiasts**: Deeply understand intangible cultural heritage skills.
- **Parent-child families**: Interactive projects allow children to learn history by hand.
- **Photography enthusiast**: The geometric aesthetics of light, shadow and umbrella are very outstanding in the photo.

**Summary**: The China Umbrella Museum is a "small but beautiful" theme museum. **Allow 1.5 hours** to visit it in detail. If you have enough time, it is recommended to visit the surrounding museums and experience the charm of the craft cluster along the canal!

> 🌧️ **Hidden Easter Egg**: It is more suitable to visit on rainy days, and you can borrow a retro umbrella to take photos in the corridor outside the museum!