Transnational Exhibiting Culture in China: The Cases of Nantong Museum and Nanyang Exposition

Scholars have explored the Nantong Museum and the Nanyang Exposition, which represent significant milestones in China’s museum and exhibition histories: the first Chinese-sponsored museum, established in 1905 in Nantong, Jiangsu province, and the first World’s Fair, organized in 1910 in Nanjing. Both modern institutions are associated with Zhang Jian (1853-1926), an urban reformist elite who spent 70 days experiencing Japan’s modernization in 1903. This paper begins by examining late Qing elites’ conceptions of bolan 博覽(literally “view widely”) and their exposure to museums and expositions abroad within the context of transnational cultural exchanges. It then discusses the reformists’ perspectives and attempts to establish exhibition spaces in China. In the context of the late 20th-century culture, the acronym “GLAM” refers to distinct institutions such as galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. However, the historical developments reveal that as early as the twentieth century, there were exhibition spaces that served not only as venues for displaying artifacts but also included botanical gardens and libraries, which offer clues about the categorization of modern museums. This paper traces the emergence of museums in China and argues that early 20th-century reformers pioneered visionary practices to create exhibition complexes that resonate spatially with both Chinese traditions and foreign trends. It particularly investigates the early display culture and spatial construction showcased in China by the 1910s.