Our country is an ancient cultural country with a long history and profound culture, so there are also many museums displaying these cultures. Almost every district and county unit has a museum, let alone provincial capitals and first-tier cities. However, among the many museums, there are not many museums that can be titled "Chinese". Moreover, the vast majority of museums with Chinese titles are in first-tier or quasi-first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. However, there are exceptions, such as the Chinese Tin Ware Museum to be introduced to you in this article. Not only is it not located in the north, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, it is not even on the second, third and fourth lines, but it is hidden in a little-known ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River.

The ancient town where the China Tin Museum is located is called Lili Ancient Town. Although it was once one of the four miles in the south of the Yangtze River, it is indeed a little little-known compared to ancient towns such as Xitang, Wuzhen, Nanxun, and Tongli. It is precisely its little-known nature that allows it to retain the original flavor of the ancient town of Jiangnan. The town is still home to a large number of indigenous residents. It is relatively less commercial and has a strong fireworks atmosphere. It is a place worth visiting. There are many ancient buildings in the town, rich in culture, rich in talents, and talented people. Not only did one champion, 26 Jinshi, and 61 Juren emerge from here, but also Zhou Yuanli, a minister of the Ministry of Industry in the Qing Dynasty, Liu Yazi, a famous official in modern times, and Jin Yucheng, winner of the Contradictory Literature Award, etc.

The ancient town was built next to the water. An alley, an ancient well, an eaves and a tile, a corridor and a pillar are all quietly telling the past that has happened here over thousands of years. There are many places to eat, see, and play here. Not only are there special delicacies such as Youdun, Tuosausages, spicy chicken feet, and Begonia Cake, but there are also a large number of ancient bridges and wells in the Song Dynasty, Lingxingmen in the Yuan Dynasty, Hongshou Hall and Jinshi Hall in the Ming Dynasty, and there are even more in the Qing Dynasty. Zhou Palace Fu Temple, Duanben Garden, Library Building, Dongshengtang, Catholic Church Hall, etc. are all worth visiting. The two museums are not to be missed. One is the Six Yue Museum opened by Americans. Another one is the Chinese Tin Museum that this article will introduce.

The China Tin Museum is located in the well-preserved Mao House of the Ming Dynasty building on the central street of Lili Ancient Town. The building is exquisitely constructed, with neat front and back halls, and brick carved gate buildings showing ancient charm and vicissitudes. The museum covers an area of 1500 square meters and collects more than 1000 sets of various tinware cultural relics. It is currently the largest tinware museum in China. Its founder and director is named Xu Penglin, a doctor of overseas returnees.

The museum uses exhibition cabinets and semi-open booths for display, integrating pictures, objects, scene restoration and other display methods to highlight the cultural characteristics of Lili such as tin mining, tin smelting, and tin processing. Food utensils, tea sets, wine utensils, boudoir tin products, library tin products, tin carvings, tin products for sacrifice... each tin product is neatly arranged. While watching and playing, it is all amazing how simple, unique and exquisite tin art is.

Tin ware has a very long history in our country. It is an ancient handicraft. Tin ware appeared in 2700 BC. According to historical records, all the tin-makers came from Suzhou, many of whom came from Lili. As a national intangible cultural heritage project, Daxi has a long history in Lili, has the earliest inheritance, and has spread in an orderly manner.

According to records, during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, the tin ware made by Zhu Duan was amazing in ancient times; during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Zhao Liangbi "learned from the outside and gained the source of his heart"; during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, countless craftsmen imitated Wang Dongwen, a famous tin maker in Wu County. Even Fujian's intangible cultural heritage culture Liancheng Sibao tin art originated in Suzhou.

According to staff, the building where the China Tin Ware Museum is located is a well-preserved ancient building of the Ming Dynasty-Mao Zhai. The building is simple and powerful and was built by Mao Daheng, the owner of the original house. The Mao family has been loyal and kind from generation to generation, and talents have emerged in large numbers. Maojia Lane, where Mao Zhai is located, is more than 80 meters long. In the Ming Dynasty alone, 4 Jinshi and many Juche were born here. Now that a museum with a Chinese character character is built, it is not a disgrace to its former glory.

In history, Mao House had a total of seven entries, and now six entries have been preserved. On the first floor of the first five entrances, exhibits are properly classified and arranged. They are divided into preface hall, scene restoration, table utensils tin products display, tea set tin products display, wine utensils tin products display, boudoir tin products display, study room tin products display, lighting tin products display, sacrifice tin products display, tin carving tin products display and other sections, with more than 1000 sets of exhibits, making it currently the largest tin museum in China.

In the Tin Ware Museum, the various kinds of utensils, tea sets, wine utensils, boudoir tin products, tin carvings, etc. displayed in the display cabinets are dazzling and completely shocked and conquered by their artistic sense and exquisite craftsmanship. Exquisite small objects, although some seem a little old, all have their own characteristics.

Among them, the tin ware "Yipin Pot" is the treasure of the town and must not ignore it. It is said that this treasure has also entered the Palace Museum to participate in a national treasure exhibition. It was brought back from the UK by the curator at a cost of 150,000 RMB. According to the director, many of the tinware cultural relics in the museum are collected by him for many years, and most of the collections are returned from abroad. A passionate collector of tinware, he traveled almost all over Europe and the United States for these objects.

In order to allow the museum to develop better, the curator formed a professional team to design and produce related derivatives with Suzhou characteristics, which were sold in the preface hall. At present, there are more than 20 varieties of these products, all of which are made of tin, including tea sets, wine utensils, incense stoves, etc. The prices are expensive and cheap. They are both exquisite and practical, and are very popular among tourists.

At the back of the museum is an experience space open to tourists. There are professional teachers who guide them here. They not only explain the theory, but also make some simpler tinware. However, there is a fee. The experience price is 198 yuan/person. Personally, I think this kind of activity is more suitable for students who are studying abroad. Of course, it is okay for individual tourists to experience it if they want to experience it. In this ancient town, under the guidance of the master, it would be good to make a small cup or something to go home as a memorial.

According to the staff, curator Xu Penglin is a native of Shandong. After graduating from college for a while, he went to the UK to study. He obtained a doctorate in archaeology from the University of Leicester and studied archaeology. However, after returning to China, Xu Penglin did not engage in corresponding work due to factors such as the domestic environment. However, he accidentally entered the retail industry. Although his occupation is not the right one, Xu Penglin has an "ancestral hobby", which is collecting. After years of accumulation, Xu Penglin has unknowingly owned thousands of tinware. "Happiness alone is not as good as happiness among all. Good things must be shared with others, and good culture must be passed down and carried forward." So he opened the museum expo in Lili, Suzhou, which has a long history of tin-making. Without careful, he not only applied for the museum name with the Chinese prefix, but also became the largest tinware museum in China.