China attractions - Situated on the Northeast Road in Jiangdong District, Ningbo, the maritime folk museum is housed in Qing’an Assembly Hall. In December 2001, it was officially opened to public. Supported by the key state-level cultural site - Qing’an Assembly Hall, it stands out among its kind for the large-sized comic books “Mingzhou and Mazu (a sea god worshiped by people living in coastal areas, also known as the Queen of Heaven)”, the picture expositions of “The Sea Silk Road”, “A-thousand-year Seeking Abroad for Treasures”, “Mazu and Chinese Red” and other interesting displays.
The Qing’an Assembly Hall is also named Tianhou (the Queen of Heaven) Palace. A ship merchantman raised funds to build it in 1853. It serves as a temple to worship the Queen of Heaven - Mazu, also a venue for trading assembly. The hall has an east-facing aspect and it covers a land area of 5,000 square meters. You will see the layers of the palace spreading out on either side of an invisible central axis. An extensive refit consumed as much as over RMB 10,000,000 by local government in 1997. The present restoration integrating the essences of the refined carvings has the bearing of the Qing Dynasty architecture reoccurred.