'Chopin's Heart' on display at Mu Xin Art Museum

Wang Jie
"Chopin's Heart," a show organized by Fryderyk Chopin Institute and Mu Xin Art Museum, will open on Saturday at the museum in Wuzhen, an ancient canal town in Zhejiang Province.
Wang Jie
'Chopin's Heart' on display at Mu Xin Art Museum

Chopin Medallion

"Chopin's Heart," an exhibition organized by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute and Mu Xin Art Museum, will open on September 28 at Mu Xin Art Museum in Wuzhen, an ancient canal town in Zhejiang Province.

The exhibition brings together 46 precious exhibits from the Fryderyk Chopin Institute in Poland, including Chopin's autographed letters, music scripts, sculptures, portraits of Chopin and his family members, and contemporary paintings themed on Chopin.

The exhibition also includes four exhibits related to Polish culture, and paintings on loan from Lu Xun Museum in Beijing.

Visitors could also enter the music world of Chopin accompanied by his classic music works on site during the exhibition.

The name of Mu Xin (1927-2011) was unknown to most people in China almost two decades ago. These days, he is widely recognized for his talents in art, literature, and music.

"Music is my life, love is my sickness; Beethoven is my God, and Chopin is my heart," Mu wrote in his later years.

'Chopin's Heart' on display at Mu Xin Art Museum

Postcard commemorating the deposit of Chopin's Heart in the Church of the Holy Cross, Warsaw, 1970

'Chopin's Heart' on display at Mu Xin Art Museum

Letter from Chopin to his family in Warsaw, July 1845

Mu viewed Chopin as being in his heart at the age of 20, while Chopin, also in his 20s, traveled to Paris in October 1830. A month later, he learnt of the outbreak of an insurrection in his homeland against Russian occupation. Most of his compatriots returned to fight, but Chopin was persuaded by his father and friend, not to return.

"You are a Polish cultural ambassador, and music is your powerful weapon," the older Chopin told his son.

The following year, the uprising failed. Chopin never again set foot on his homeland. Before his death in 1849, the dying Chopin asked his older sister to take his heart back to their motherland. His sister put his heart in a small crystal box soaked in brandy and carried it home.

The organizers of the exhibition said Chopin is more important to Poland than Mozart is to Austria. He is considered as a national hero.

Sublimating patriotism and nostalgia into the sound of the piano, Chopin transcended time and physical boundaries, and his last wish was to send his heart back to his motherland.

The exhibition will offer a deep understanding of Chopin.

Exhibition info:

Date: September 28-February 5, 2025, 9am-5pm (closed on Mondays)

Venue: Mu Xin Art Museum

Admission: 20 yuan

If you go:

By train: Take a high-speed train from Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station or Shanghai South Railway Station to Jiaxing or Tongxiang City, then take a bus or taxi to Wuzhen. The entire journey takes 1-2 hours.

By bus: Take a long-distance bus from Shanghai East Bus Station to Wuzhen.
By car: Wuzhen is roughly 120 kilometers from Shanghai and takes approximately two hours to reach.


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