Henan Museum was originally established in Kaifeng in 1927 and later moved to Zhengzhou in 1961, following the relocation of the provincial capital from Kaifeng to Zhengzhou. Henan Museum now occupies a site of 84,000 square meters, with 55,000 square meters of built space. Its architectural design draws inspiration from the legendary Nine Tripods—symbols of royal authority and unity in ancient China—reflecting the deep historical and cultural heritage of the Central Plains civilization.
In 2009, the museum was designated as a National Key Museum jointly supported by central and local governments, marking its status as one of China’s leading cultural institutions. With a collection of over 170,000 cataloged artifacts—many of them nationally significant—Henan Museum is particularly renowned for its bronzes, jade objects, ceramics, and stone sculptures. These exceptional holdings position it as a vital institution for preserving and presenting the long arc of Chinese civilization from its earliest origins.
