The Jianghai Museum in Nantong. [Photo provided to nantong.gov.cn]

Editor's note: Eight themed travel routes in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, were unveiled at the Nantong "Hao Tong You" cultural and tourism consumption promotion season on May 19 to mark the 12th China Tourism Day.

In 1905, Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a renowned industrial magnate, educator, and scholar in Nantong, established the Nantong Museum, the first public museum in China, and since then, dozens of museums have sprung up, making museums a significant Nantong attraction.

The following routes connect major museums in the city.

Haohe River route:

Day one: Nantong Museum – Auditing Museum – China Abacus Museum – Chinese Charity Museum

Day two: Nantong Blue Calico Museum – Nantong Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture – Shen's Embroidery Museum – Nantong Kite Museum

Cultural inheritance route:

Day one: Qingdun Relics Site Museum – Hai'an Museum – Shuihui Garden

Day two: Rugao Bonsai Art Expo Park – Nantong Intangible Culture Heritage Museum

Textile industry route:

Day one: Nantong Textile Museum – Nantong Blue Calico Museum – Shen's Embroidery Museum

Day two: Jianghai Museum – China Home Textile Museum

Further reading:

Nantong Blue Calico Museum showcases the history and traditional techniques of blue calico, which was once used to make hats, clothing, bags, and quilt covers, by displaying more than 300 artworks and tools over its 1,600-square-meter area.

Shen's Embroidery Museum, built at the former site of China's first embroidery school founded in 1914 by Zhang Jian, displays 280 artworks, including some portraits and royal paintings exhibited for the first time ever.

The Chinese Charity Museum was transformed from the former site of the Dasheng Cotton Mill. The museum is currently home to more than 3,000 items, including 600 national-level cultural relics involving ancient books, wood carvings, and inscriptions.