The Baiheliang Underwater Museum is located at No. 185, Section 2 of Binjiang Avenue, Fuling District, Chongqing City, China. It is the world's first underwater museum that can be accessed without diving. It is also one of the branches of the Chongqing Three Gorges Museum and a local historical museum. The museum officially started construction in 2003 and opened to the public on May 18, 2009. The museum covers an area of about 11,300 square meters, and its building area is 8,433 square meters.
Historical Culture
Ancient Baiheliang was formerly known as "Bazi Liang", which is a natural stone beam about 1,600 meters long and an average of 15 meters wide. Due to the erosion of the Yangtze River water, it is divided into upper, middle and lower sections. After the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Baiheliang. Before or during the Tang Dynasty, there were stone fish water marks on Baiheliang. In the late Tang Dynasty, inscriptions and poems were carved near the stone fish water marks, and the "scale bucket" was carved in the first year of Dashun (AD 890) to record the water level at that time. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the stone fish and the stone beam in the middle of the river with ancient inscriptions had become a scenic spot in Fuling. A large number of inscriptions recording the relationship between the stone fish and the water level, as well as related poems, were engraved on the stone beam. After the Yuan Dynasty destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty, local officials of the Yuan Dynasty still observed the stone fish on the stone beam in the middle of the Yangtze River in Fuling, recorded the water level and engraved inscriptions. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the inscriptions on Baiheliang continued to develop. The number of inscriptions increased compared with the Yuan Dynasty, but it was far less than that of the Song Dynasty. Since modern times, a total of 14 inscriptions have been engraved on the stone beam. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, considering protection and research, the phenomenon of inscribing on the stone beam basically disappeared. In 1992, the Three Gorges Project was launched, and Baiheliang would sink to the bottom of the river. In 2002, the "pressure-free container" protection plan was determined. The protection project started in 2003, and the museum was completed and opened in 2009.
Main Attractions
Original Site of Underwater Inscriptions
The Baiheliang Underwater Museum houses 165 inscriptions, 18 stone fish, 2 statues of Guanyin, and 1 white crane. These inscriptions record the poems and various graphic stone carvings of successive dynasties since the second year of Guangde in the Tang Dynasty (AD 764), and they have extremely high scientific, historical and artistic values.
Slope Traffic Corridor
The slope traffic corridor is 91 meters long and goes 40 meters underwater of the Yangtze River. By using acoustic, optical and electrical means to create a "skylight", it simulates the original scene of Baiheliang, allowing tourists to feel the scenery along the river while gradually entering the underwater area of the Yangtze River.
Horizontal Traffic Corridor
The horizontal traffic corridor is 146 meters long. Through videos, display boards, and 3D paintings, it introduces knowledge about fish in the "Ecological Yangtze River", ships in the "Shipping Yangtze River", and so on.
Visiting Corridor
The visiting corridor is an area for visiting around the protected body. It has 23 circular glass windows. Tourists can observe the inscriptions through these windows and use the projection of inscription rubbings to give auxiliary explanations of important inscriptions.
Ground Exhibition Hall
The Ground Exhibition Hall regularly holds a special exhibition of the inscriptions on Baiheliang. With the theme of "Water, Stone, Poetry, and Museum", it is divided into four units: "The Water of Life - Hydrological Observation in the Civilizations of the World's Great Rivers", "The Ruler of the Yangtze River - The Scientific Value of the Inscriptions on Baiheliang", "The Underwater Forest of Steles - The Humanistic Value of the Inscriptions on Baiheliang", and "The Pearl of the Three Gorges - The World's First Underwater Museum of Relic Sites".
Delicacies
Fuling Pickled Mustard Tubers
Fuling pickled mustard tubers are local characteristic delicacies. They have a crispy and tender taste, with a delicious salty flavor, and are excellent side dishes.
Fuling Noodles
Fuling noodles have a rich taste. The noodles are chewy, and there are various flavors such as spicy and clear soup for selection. They are common breakfast foods in the local area.
Hot and Sour Noodles
Hot and sour noodles are popular for their hot and sour appetizing taste. The vermicelli is smooth and tough, and the soup is rich. With ingredients like chopped scallions and crushed peanuts, it tastes wonderful.
Admission Tickets
The adult ticket is 50 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account of the scenic area, "重庆白鹤梁水下博物馆", to obtain the latest information. Currently, the online ticket purchase function of the official public account is not available.
Opening Hours
It is open from 09:00 to 17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year (ticket sales stop at 16:30), and it is closed on Mondays.
Visiting Route
"The Water of Life" — "The Ruler of the Yangtze River" — "The Underwater Forest of Steles" — "The Pearl of the Three Gorges" — Slope Corridor — Horizontal Corridor — Visiting Corridor — The Original Site of Underwater Inscriptions.
Transportation
- You can take bus routes 113, 119, 302, 306, 307 within the urban area to reach Baiheliang directly.
Must-visit Attractions
- Original Site of Underwater Inscriptions: It has a large number of inscriptions of successive dynasties. It is the most complete ancient hydrological inscription preserved in the world and is known as the "First Ancient Hydrological Station in the World", with extremely high scientific and historical and cultural values.
- Visiting Corridor: It is equipped with 23 double-layer pressure-resistant visiting windows. Tourists can enjoy the inscriptions of Baiheliang up close through these windows and feel the thousand-year historical culture and folk customs.
Suggestions for Visiting
- Learn about the opening hours and ticket information of the museum in advance and arrange your itinerary reasonably.
- You can hire a tour guide or interpreter to have a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural connotations of Baiheliang.
- Comply with the regulations of the museum during the visit. Do not touch the cultural relics, and do not take photos or record audio casually.
- If time permits, you can visit surrounding scenic spots, such as the Fuling Pickled Mustard Tubers Museum, to have a more comprehensive understanding of the history and culture of Fuling.
Notes
- Comply with the order in the museum. Do not make loud noises or chase and play around.
- Visit according to the specified route and do not leave the designated area without permission.
- Pay attention to the protection of cultural relics. Do not touch or carve on the inscriptions.
- Take good care of your personal belongings to avoid loss.