Xu Meifu, a Zhejiang native who has been keen on collecting vintages ever since the 1970s opened a museum in Yunhe, Zhejiang, in which more than 1,000 pieces of collections embodying the history of rural China for thousands of years are on display.

According to Xu, there are three exhibition halls with more 1,000 pieces of collections themed Agriculture, Lifestyle and Musical Instrument.

Stoneware, almanacs, old-fashioned tables and chairs, wooden boxes, fishing nets, clothes, wooden plows and other vintages in the museum that are special back to that time seem quite "useless" to modern people. For Xu, however, those are what value most.

The musical instruments displayed in the museum once used by the propaganda team where Xu worked were all produced by him in person in the 1960s. Later, as the propaganda team dismissed, most of them were taken away.

In order to collect these instruments, he went from doors to doors trying to take them back, and even at the cost of new instruments. 

In recent years, with the rapid development of rural tourism, Changting Beach Scenic Area has become a popular destination in Yunhe. Under the circumstance, Xu’s Farmhouse Museum came into being.

Heaps of tourists will come for a visit on holiday, and Xu as a guide will tell the stories of each collection.

For Xu, the collections will not only trigger the heart-warming childhood memories but also inspire generations to inherit these historical cultures.

Although there are already more than 1,000 vintages in the museum, Xu will continue to collect more and keep it for young generations.

(Compiled by Xu Yuhong)