Stepping into the Phonograph Museum: A Journey Through Living History and Timeless Melodies Across a Century

“Every phonograph here has a life of its own, and the singers within them are still alive today...”

Watching this elderly gentleman speak these words with an unquestionable, emphatic tone is truly moving. He is Director Wang of the Lüshun Phonograph Museum in Dalian. His family has been collecting phonographs for three generations. If you travel to Dalian, beyond seeing the mountains and the sea, a more meaningful choice, I think, is to visit the Lüshun Phonograph Museum—the largest in China with the most extensive collection. Here, you can hear with your own ears the sounds of a bygone era from over a hundred years ago...

The Dalian Phonograph Museum is located at No. 33 Stalin Road, Lüshunkou District, Dalian, Liaoning Province. Its collection focuses primarily on vintage phonographs and other musical devices, with nearly ten thousand items, including Edison's first-generation tin foil cylinder phonograph. Remarkably, most exhibits can still be interactively demonstrated, playing beautiful melodies that transcend time!

From Director Wang’s fluent narration and expressive demeanor as he shares the stories behind each phonograph, you can sense his immense passion for these treasures and his work.

Indeed, nostalgia is an instinctive human emotion. Memories—whether evoked by a sound, a song, an image, a scene, or an object—often transport us back in time, allowing us to relive past moments. Here, it seems, all of this is possible!

With a century-old vinyl record, a well-worn phonograph, and a tiny stylus, Director Wang carefully turns the crank connected to the phonograph’s spring. Through the mechanical motion, the phonograph emits a beautiful sound that crosses the river of time... “A great river, wide with waves, wind carries the scent of rice flowers across the banks...” This moving song, played in the phonograph’s unique, unplugged manner, embodies the musical world of its era and still touches every listener—including me.

After each demonstration, Director Wang delicately removes the stylus and places it into a small box. This series of actions fully expresses his deep love and care for the phonographs and all his collections. Then, with renewed vigor, he loudly introduces another cherished piece... It is clear that his powerful and spirited voice conveys his confidence in the historical and cultural legacy of the phonograph, while his rich body language and charisma effectively engage every visitor. Moreover, one can truly feel the dedication of this old curator in preserving the memory of Dalian city...

Not all exhibits in the Phonograph Museum are antique phonographs, but they are all related to music or sound. This includes music boxes, pipe organs, and musical cabinets—ranging from large to small, tabletop to floor-standing, even portable. Director Wang can narrate the origin or stories behind each item with intimate familiarity.

Indeed, one of the functions of a museum is to bear the past and serve as a bridge connecting the present and the future. Just as Director Wang treasures these phonographs and preserves this museum, the museum itself is like a historical phonograph. The sounds it emits, like old records, faithfully, vividly, and lively record and playback the historical imprints of various periods in modern times. Come and visit the Lüshun Phonograph Museum! Here, you can not only listen to the beautiful sounds of a hundred years ago but also experience and appreciate an old curator’s unchanging heart and commitment to guarding a city’s memory.