Neixiang County Yamen Museum

Originally constructed in 1304 of the Yuan Dynasty, the remaining architecture was built in the period of Zhang Bingtao---the magistrate during the reign of Emperor Guang Xu of the Qing Dynasty. Covering an area of
20,000m², there are over 280 halls and rooms. In the museum, 16 exhibition halls and theme-related shows best represent the Yamen (the court in feudal

China) Culture. In 1984, the first Yamen museum in the country was built and in 1996 it had become a key national cultural relic protection unit.

The architectures in

Neixiang
County have a unique style. The general layout strictly follows the local civil service system of the Qing Dynasty, reflecting the traditional ceremonial forms. The whole building is oriented north-south. On the left are rooms for civil officers and on the right for military. In the front are offices and in the back are bedrooms with a prison in the south. Zhang Bingtao, then magistrate from
Shaoxing,
Zhejiang Province contributed to the architectural style of the place, which integrated the essentials across the

Changjiang
River and took on a solemn and grand look.

There is an old saying that there is the

Imperial
Palace in the north, and Neixiang County Yamen in the south. The place epitomizes the traditional officialdom culture. As the historical evidence of
county
Yamens in feudal

China, the place is a treasure of culture and history. To better understand the rich

Yamen culture, one can participate in a series of activities such as listening to interpretations, appreciating couplets, attending exhibitions, enjoying performances and so on. The plaques and couplets in the Yamen have won great acclaim from people of all walks of life. In 1995, Zhu Rongji, then premier paid a visit to the place and spoke highly of the inscriptions that deal with the dialectical relationship between gain and loss, the government and the public.

In October, 2,000, the Neixiang County Yamen was listed to the

International Tourism Route of 4 Chinese Ancient Yamens including the
Imperial
Palace, the Neixiang County Yamen, the
Mansion of
Viceroy of Zhili in
Baoding,
Hebei Province and the Administrative Office of Huozhou County in

Shanxi
Province.