[2025 Hangzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for China Knives And Scissors And Swords Museum (Updated May)

I've discovered an off-the-beaten-path peach blossom paradise in Hangzhou—Ancient Forest Park! Avoid the crowds and immerse yourself in the vibrant pink peach blossoms this spring with this handy guide~ 📍Getting There 🚇Subway: Take Line 5 to [Grand Canal Station], exit from Gate A, then transfer to bus routes 151 or 76. Get off at [Shentang Bridge Station] and walk about 800 meters to reach Ancient Forest Park. Along the way, you'll experience the authentic atmosphere of old Hangzhou~ 🚗Driving: Navigate directly to "Ancient Forest Park." There's a parking lot inside, but spaces are limited. It's recommended to visit on working days or arrive early to secure a spot—finding parking on weekends can be challenging! 🌸Peach Blossom Highlights You'll be amazed as soon as you enter the park! Stroll along winding paths with peach blossoms like clouds and rosy glow on both sides, with layers of petals shimmering softly in the sunlight✨. The most delightful area is the "Peach Blossom Valley" section, where dozens of peach trees are artfully arranged alongside traditional pavilions and towers—every photo you take will look like a classical Chinese painting! The peach blossoms complement the streams and rockeries in the park, making you feel like you've stepped into Tao Yuanming's legendary Peach Blossom Spring~ 📸Photography Tips ✅Wear light-colored Hanfu or modern Chinese-style clothing that perfectly matches the peach blossom atmosphere ✅Shoot during the soft light of early morning or evening; backlight creates a beautiful translucent effect on the petals ✅Use peach blossoms as foreground, crouch down and shoot upward to create a sense of spaciousness and avoid crowds 🌟Visitor Tips ✔️The park is free to enter; remember to bring sun protection and insect repellent ✔️Pack some snacks and a picnic blanket for a delightful spring picnic under the peach trees ✔️Peach blossoms have a short blooming period—miss them and you'll wait another year! 📌Nearby Attractions 🎋Hangzhou Botanical Garden: Just a 15-minute walk away, with magnolias and tulips also in full bloom, plus large forest areas perfect for hiking and fresh air 🏯Gongchen Bridge Historic District: Two bus stops away, explore century-old shops along the canal, visit the Chinese Fan Museum and Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum, and watch the sunset over the canal from the bridge in the evening 🍵Qingsha Academy: A hidden gem teahouse by the canal where you can enjoy a pot of Longjing tea while gazing at peach blossoms framed against the canal through floor-to-ceiling windows—a healing slow-life experience This spring, avoid the crowds! Come claim your own peach blossom forest at Ancient Forest Park~🌸

#discoverchina ⚔️ China’s Only Blade-Themed Museum - Housed in a converted 1930s textile mill, showcasing 3,200+ artifacts from Neolithic stone knives to Qing Dynasty ceremonial swords. - Explores how blades shaped warfare, agriculture, and culture across 5,000 years. 📍 Location: No. 336 Xiaohe Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou (inside Gongshu Cultural Park) 🕒Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Closed Mondays) 🎫 Admission: Free 🚇 Metro: Line 5 to Dadu Road Station， Exit C (5-min walk)

China Umbrella Museum -- Located in the Gongchen Bridge West Historical and Cultural District With Gongchen Bridge as the landmark, the museum forms a historical and cultural museum complex together with the China Scissors Museum, China Fan Museum, and others. The museum is divided into six sections: 1. The origin of the Chinese umbrella This is a question that cannot be clearly explained at present. In ancient China, there were many legends and documents about the invention of umbrellas. Although these materials cannot give an accurate answer, speculative views are displayed here. Perhaps one day, your view will solve the mystery of the origin of the Chinese umbrella and become a recognized conclusion. 2. Oil-paper umbrellas and oil-cloth umbrellas Before the Han Dynasty, umbrellas were large in size, and the umbrella surface may have been woven from silk and bird feathers. Due to their high price, they were mainly popular in high society. In the Han Dynasty, with the invention of paper, umbrellas underwent fundamental changes. When paper was used as the umbrella surface, umbrellas became a consumable item. A layer of tung oil was applied to the surface of the paper umbrella to enhance its water resistance, and it was called an oil-paper umbrella. After the rise of the cotton textile industry, oil-cloth umbrellas made of cotton cloth as the umbrella surface material also appeared. They were more durable and expensive, and were very popular. In modern times, craft umbrellas with clear aesthetic functions have developed, bringing people the enjoyment of beauty, while also carrying a touch of nostalgia. 3. Beautiful West Lake silk umbrellas After the mid-Tang Dynasty, with the popularity of silk, silk umbrellas became more popular. In modern times, Hangzhou West Lake silk umbrellas emerged as the most beautiful branch of the silk umbrella family, becoming a prominent representative of Chinese silk umbrellas. 4. Umbrella culture The cultural connotation of umbrellas formed in historical accumulation is extensive, profound, and complex. Its system, form, and color have all aroused people's infinite imagination. It is both part of the ceremonial system that distinguishes people and a medium that connects people with common wishes. It brings people joy and good luck, but it also becomes an unspeakable taboo in folk mentality. It is in this diverse emotion that rich and diverse umbrella cultures have formed in various places. 5. Umbrellas going global In some areas outside China, umbrellas appeared very early. In ancient Egypt, umbrellas were part of the pharaoh's ceremonial system, and in ancient Greece, umbrellas were special tools for noble women to shield themselves from the sun. It is generally believed that umbrellas, as real life tools, originated in China, both in the East and the West. In the Tang Dynasty, Chinese umbrellas were introduced to Korea and Japan, and were further developed in Japan. From the mid-16th century, Chinese umbrellas began to enter Europe sporadically, but it was not until the mid-17th century that umbrellas began to enter the lives of Europeans. Umbrellas going global not only brought convenience to people in various countries, but also enriched local cultures. Today, many regions around the world have formed their own unique umbrella cultures. 6. Modern umbrellas Until the second half of the 17th century, European umbrellas were still heavy, and their use was more about showing status than shielding from the sun and rain. This situation underwent fundamental changes with the successful development of curved steel rib umbrella frames in the 19th century. With the advent of umbrellas that could be opened and closed freely, umbrellas began to truly enter people's daily lives. In the process of modernization in China, modern metal umbrellas quickly replaced traditional oil-paper umbrellas and became the mainstream. Although big red oil-paper umbrellas are still beautiful and vivid, they have finally entered the list of intangible cultural heritage and are gradually moving away from people's lives.

China Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum is a national museum funded by the Hangzhou Municipal Government. It was converted from the Qiaoxi Native Products Warehouse (a provincial-level cultural relic). The museum has an exhibition hall with a floor area of 2,460 square meters and a temporary exhibition hall with a floor area of 1,060 square meters. It was opened to the public in September 2009. The museum was built in Hangzhou because of the city's traditional handicraft industry. Brands like Zhang Xiaoquan and Wang Xingji have been included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List and have a nationwide influence. Their history and craftsmanship are ideal examples of the Chinese knife and scissors industry. The exhibition hall is divided into two parts: "Knives and Swords" and "Scissors". The "Knives and Swords" section features themes such as "History of Knives and Swords", "Knives and Our Life", "Chinese Knives and Swords in Cultural Perspective", "Sword Casting and Knife Forging", and "Fierce Knives and Swords", showcasing the relationship between knives and swords and human history, society, culture, and craftsmanship. Here, you can see the development of knives and swords from the Paleolithic Age to modern times, learn about the characteristics and uses of knives and swords in different periods and regions, and see many precious knife and sword relics, such as the bronze sword with patterns from the Warring States Period to the Western Han Dynasty and the 19th-century Bhutanese royal short sword. "The Story of Scissors" showcases the "great wisdom in small scissors", including the origin and evolution of scissors, various scissors in life, local customs of scissors, traditional scissor-making techniques, and various unique scissors in modern times. Visitors can learn that early Chinese scissors were cross-shaped and that Hangzhou became the national center of scissor-making in the Southern Song Dynasty. The visit takes about an hour.

1. Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum Address: No. 334, Xiaohe Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 2. China Knife, Scissors and Sword Museum Address: No. 336, Xiaohe Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 3. China Umbrella Museum Address: No. 336, Xiaohe Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou 4. China Fan Museum Address: No. 450, Xiaohe Road, Gongshu District, Hangzhou Transportation: Take Metro Line 5 to Grand Canal Station, Exit D, and walk for about 12 minutes Opening hours: 9:00-16:30 (entry stops at 16:00), closed on Tuesdays, open as usual during holidays Tickets: Free You can make a reservation in advance through the WeChat official account "Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum"-"Visit Reservation", and enter the museum with the reservation QR code or ID card The Hangzhou Arts and Crafts Museum (China Knife, Scissors, Sword, Fan, and Umbrella Museum) is located on the west side of Gongchen Bridge in the historical district of Hangzhou, on the banks of the Grand Canal. It is a national first-class museum. The Fan Museum is the only museum in China with a fan theme. Here you can learn about the long history and culture of fans. The tall feather fan in the exhibition hall is impressive. The unique umbrella culture has been derived from the misty and rainy Jiangnan. The Umbrella Museum is the first umbrella-themed museum in China, displaying China's umbrella culture, history and craftsmanship. "An object with one blade is a knife, and an object with two blades is a sword. Two knives intersect to form scissors." Here you can learn about the unique culture of knives, scissors and swords. The Arts and Crafts Museum provides ordinary visitors with a place to understand the history of Hangzhou arts and crafts, appreciate masterpieces, and interpret the connotation of craftsmanship. The second floor provides a window for arts and crafts masters to pass on their skills to society, and also provides a close communication platform for arts and crafts enthusiasts.

"A blade with one edge is a knife, a blade with two edges is a sword." Come to the Knife, Scissors, and Sword Museum in Qiaoxi to see the history of weapon development and fulfill a dream of being a martial arts hero. The earliest knives in China appeared at the Zhoukoudian site in Beijing during the Paleolithic era. The materials used were mainly quartzite and sandstone, with a small amount of flint and crystal. During the Western Han Dynasty, the iron smelting industry flourished, and iron weapons gradually replaced bronze weapons by the late Western Han period. The ring-headed iron knife, known for its chopping ability, gradually replaced the long sword. Emperor Wu of Han established iron officials across the country to oversee iron production. During the Three Kingdoms, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties periods, more decorative rings appeared on knives. Qiwu Huaiwen of the Northern Qi developed the steel infusion method, creating the famous Su Tie Dao, which could "cut through thirty layers of armor." In the Sui Dynasty, the ring-headed straight knife remained dominant. In the Tang Dynasty, in addition to short-handled ceremonial knives, barrier knives, and horizontal knives, a long-handled "Mo Dao" was developed, which was extremely powerful. During the Song and Yuan periods, knives utilized the sophisticated steel cladding technique, with many long-handled iron knives. Swords were mainly used by officers for command. During the Mongol Yuan period, military knives convenient for horseback use were predominant, mainly ring knives and curved knives. Although firearms matured during the Ming Dynasty, waist knives became the standard weapon for the military. The Ming long knife was modeled after the Japanese katana, featuring a long handle and often used as a backup weapon for Ming army arquebusiers. Various ethnic groups also had their representative knives, such as the Yingjisha knife from Xinjiang, the Baoan waist knife, the Achang knife from Dehong, and the Mongolian knife. The Tiger Guards were the earliest "special sword masters" in Chinese history. They were the daredevils of the army and the earliest professional researchers and disseminators of swordsmanship. From the Han Dynasty onwards, sword dancing became a skill for fitness and expression. Tang Dynasty figures like Pei Min and Gongsun Da Niang were famous for their sword dances, which were immortalized in Wu Daozi's paintings and Du Fu's poems. Sword casting became a specialized profession, with "Tao" referring to swordsmiths. During the Warring States period, bronze swords reached their peak application. Famous swordsmiths included the "patriarch" Ou Yezi, the couple Gan Jiang and Mo Ye who forged swords in Mount Mogan, the "ancestor of Longquan swords" Ou Yezi, Zhang Yajiu, Shen Kuo, Madam Xu, and others. Among the ten famous swords, Ou Yezi's swords occupied four spots: the Zhanlu Sword, the Chun Jun Sword, the Yuchang Sword, and the Tai'a Sword. He also forged the world's first iron sword, the "Longyuan Sword," for King Goujian of Yue. The Sword of King Yue represented the highest level of bronze sword casting. The composite sword, diamond-shaped patterns on the blade, and concentric circle techniques reflected the most significant achievements in sword casting at the time. In the 6th century AD, besides water, some quenching materials included animal urine or oil.