VASA Museum

VASA Museum

The Vasa Museum in Sweden is located on the island of Stockholm zoo. Vasa sunken ship museum is a unique museum among many museums in Sweden. It is specially built for the exhibition of a vasa sunken ship salvaged from the seabed.

Introduction to Museum

The museum displays the 17th century warship vasa picked up from the bottom of the sea. The warship vasa was ordered by Gustav II Adolf to be built. At that time, Sweden was the target of great powers. In order to guard against the invasion of neighboring countries, he ordered the construction of four warships, of which vasa was one

One. However, after sailing 1300 meters, the ship capsized and sank rapidly because of its heavy weight. The sinking was in 333, and it was only in 1961 that the Swedish authorities ordered it to be salvaged. Although the sailing history is very short, the Swedes still regard it as a national treasure, because it presents the shipbuilding technology and art of the Swedes in the 17th century, especially the wood carving skills on the ship.

Development history

Vasa is an ancient warship. It was built in 1625 according to the will of King Gustav II of Sweden. At that time, the Swedish Navy hired Dutch shipbuilding technicians to plan to build a single-layer gunship. However, in the process of building the ship, the king learned that Denmark, their strong naval enemy, had already owned a double-layer gunship. Regardless of the actual conditions at that time, he hastily ordered to transform the gunship into a double-layer gunship. Three years later, the warship was finally built and named after the first king of the vasa Dynasty in Sweden. On August 10, 1628, Sweden held a grand launching ceremony for the vasa. However, shortly after leaving the dock, the vasa swayed violently under the strong wind on the sea, and then the cabin flooded. Soon, it sank into the sea more than 30 meters deep. At that time, in order to find out who was responsible for the sinking of the Vasa, Sweden made a lot of noise for a while, but it was finally settled.

What is more unfortunate and puzzling is that the location of the sunken ship was later forgotten, so that the Swedish government tried to salvage the sunken ship many times in the next 300 years. Until the 1960s, with the help of advanced means of modern science and technology, the sinking position of the vasa was finally determined. Then, in April 1961, the Swedish government organized personnel and invited salvage teams from the United States and Britain to salvage the wreck full of ancient medieval customs.

In the exhibition room, there are objects from the original Vasa, including sails, artillery, human bones, sailor's clothes, tools, gold coins, even butter, rum, etc., as well as figures (officers, sailors, merchants, officials, etc.) copied in proportion. This is a real picture of life on a ship in the ancient Middle Ages - a group of sailors are grinding, making wine, wiping cannons, some officers are drinking, talking and laughing, everyone is eagerly looking forward to the upcoming first voyage, everyone is immersed in the great honor they are about to receive, and they can't feel the ups and downs of fate!

Vasa is not only the oldest and best preserved warship salvaged in the world, but also a huge art treasure house. All kinds of exquisite carvings (Amazing wood carving) on the ship show the popular Baroque art style in Sweden under the influence of the late Renaissance in the 17th century.

No wonder the Swedes are still proud of the museum and the ancient warship!

Museum preservation

Sweden also tried to salvage the Vasa, but due to technical constraints, it failed. Since then, the vasa has been sleeping underwater for more than 300 years. In April 1961, Sweden finally salvaged the "vasa" wreck from the bottom of the sea. In the autumn of that year, the "vasa" was transported to sconsen island for comprehensive restoration. A ship repair house and a special berth were built on the island, which is the predecessor of today's Vasa Museum. Since then, the Vasa Museum has been open to the public while restoring the ancient warships. Swedish experts and workers restored the ancient warship to its original appearance by various modern means. Among the repaired warships, the original wreckage accounted for 95%. More than 10000 hull accessories and 700 sculptures were fished out of the water and put back to their original positions after anti-corrosion and anti shrinking treatment. The vasa seen in museums today looks no different from the vasa more than 300 years ago. In addition, in the museum's "life on board" exhibition room, there are also scenes of life on the "vasa" at that time: working sailors and drinking and laughing officers. These puppet models have different and vivid expressions. Although the Vosa's sailing life is very short, after restoration, it still presents the shipbuilding technology and art of Sweden in the 17th century. Today, Swedes still regard it as a national treasure.

Museum view

When you visit the Vasa Museum in Sweden, you can see that this is a warship with five decks and 64 guns on it. There is a huge statue of Golden Lion squatting under the first inclined mast. The keel of the stern is as high as that of a six story ordinary building. It is divided into 50 storeys. More than 700 sculptures are carefully carved, which can be compared with the Royal Palace of Sweden. These sculptures are painted or inlaid with gold, including mighty knights in helmets, graceful mermaids, Roman soldiers with swords, mythical figures, various heraldry and Christian "Bible", as well as naked women symbolizing beauty and purity. At the top of the sculpture are the two lions on the Royal Swedish shield with gold foil. From afar, all of these are so magnificent and colorful, resplendent, dignified in the rich, it is worthy of being a famous warship. In the exhibition room beside the ship, there are objects on board the original vasa salvaged from the bottom of the sea, including sails, guns, human bones, sailor's clothes, tools, gold coins, even butter, rum (a kind of sweet wine), etc. When you visit the vasa shipwreck Museum in Sweden, you can not only visit the hull of the ship, but also visit the model of life on board the vasa at that time in the exhibition room of "life on board": a group of sailors are grinding, making wine and cleaning cannons; some officers are drinking and talking. The warship Vasa is not only the oldest and most intact warship salvaged in the world, but also a huge art treasure house. All kinds of exquisite carvings on the ship show the popular Baroque art style in Sweden under the influence of the late Renaissance in the 17th century.

Visit information

Address: galarvarvsvagen 14

Transportation: Bus: 47 or 69

Opening hours: 09:30-19:00 in summer; 10:00-17:00 in winter

Address: Jingyuetan National Forest Park, 5840 Jingyue street, Jingyue Development Zone, Changchun

Longitude: 125.48050608466

Latitude: 43.772332911941

Ticket information: no ticket required. Included in the ticket of Jingyuetan National Forest Park.

Chinese PinYin : Wa Sa Bo Wu Guan