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Heilan Horse Culture Museum, located in Xinqiao town of Jiangyin, Wuxi, is the only living horse museum in the world. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn] |
Covering an area of 8,700 square meters, the museum has four floors, three above ground and one below. It belongs to Heilan Group, a domestic leader in apparel manufacturing in Xinqiao town of Jiangyin, Wuxi.
Heilan Group was set up in 1988. Its headquarters covers an area of 300,000 square meters and owns a stock company and a five-star hotel. Heilan Group is the first enterprise to surpass its business income over one hundred billion yuan ($15.8 billion) in 2017 in Wuxi.
The underground level collects all kinds of art works related to horses, including tri-colored glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty, Terra Cotta Warriors and models of ancient carriages.
The first floor, home to the horses of Heilan International Equestrian Club, displays 47 rare kinds of horses from over 30 countries and regions, a Guinness world record. Visitors can access this floor for free.
The second floor brings visitors into a time gallery, where they can learn about the birth and development of horses, how horses encountered human civilization, and how they have been used in activities from farming to fighting in many ages and regions. Modern technologies such as 4D film and automatic sensors are used on this floor.
The 30-year corporate history museum of Heilan Group is on the third floor.
The museum is open from 9:30-12:00 and 14:00-18:00 every day. It's also open from 20:00-22:00 from Friday to Sunday.
