The Hu'nan Provincial Museum was set up in early 1950s and lies in the Kaifu District of Changsha, which is a famous historical and cultural city, adjoining the beautiful Martyr's Park. It has an area of 51,000 square meters and the total public building has 29,000 square meters. It is the largest museum of history and art in Hu'nan Province, and was chosen to be a National Demonstration Base of Patriotic Education and a AAAA national Tourist Attraction.
    Surrounded by green trees, Hu'nan Provincial Museum has a fine environment. Its new exhibition building which was completed at the end of the 20th century is simple in form, but is marked for its magnificent grandeur. With its unique style, it presents the rich undertones of Hunan culture and serves as one of the landmarks of Changsha, which is a city with a long history.
    It boasts abundant collections that feature cultural relics excavated from the outstanding Mawangdui Han Tombs, the bronzewares of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties and Chu State, pottery and porcelain works in the past dynasties, calligraphy works and paintings, and modern cultural relics.
    The valuable relics that are excavated from the outstanding Mawangdui Han Tombs, such as the woman mummy of the Western Han Dynasty, colorful silk paintings, bamboos slips used for writing, lacquerworks, musical instruments, and coffins. Though it was buried more than 2,100 years ago, the woman mummy's body remains complete, her skin smooth and parts of joints moveable, which is considered as a miracle in terms of antisepsis. To cite another example, the unearthed silk organdy garment with two long sleeves is about 1.28 meters long but only weighs 49 grams, which indicates the surprisingly superb weaving skills of the Han Dynasty.
    With a concentration of treasures of cultural relics from the land of Hu'nan, Hu'nan Provincial Museum paints a panoramic historical picture of Hu'nan civilization. Serving as an important window through which to interpret the history and nuances of Hu'nan culture, it attracts hundred thousands of visitors from home and abroad.