On Oct 20, the official website of the Guangzhou municipal development and reform commission released an announcement that the construction site of the new Guangzhou Museum will be located at the site south of the Guangzhou Tower and near the Chigang Tower.

The total construction area of the project is 80,000 square meters, of which the above-ground area is 54,800 sq m and the underground area is 25,200 sq m. It will consist of a display and exhibition area, an education area, service facilities, and a collection area. The construction period of this project will be 48 months, with a total investment of 301 million ($41 million). The project is being funded by the city, while the construction unit is the Guangzhou culture, radio, film and television administration bureau.

Currently located in the Zhenhai Building, a national key cultural relic protection unit, the Guangzhou Museum is one of the oldest museums in Guangdong province and China. After many years of development, it has developed into a landmark comprehensive museum integrating the collection, research, display, and promotion of Guangzhou's history and culture in a variety of functions. However, many of its collections are not accessible to the public due to limitations in its exhibition area.

In addition, facility changes to Zhenhai Building are limited due to the need for heritage conservation, As a result, the current Guangzhou Museum is unable to make lighting and other facilities changes needed for modern museum management, making the location change necessary.

Rendering of the new Guangzhou Museum. [Photo/Yangcheng Evening News]