The 107-year-old Nantong Museum, covered in a blanket of snow, has witnessed the birth of the city's industries in the early 20th century. Xu Congjun / for China Daily

The China Audit Museum vividly presents formal accounting methods throughout the nation's economic development.

There I encountered groups of college students who had taken a few hours' bus ride from Nanjing Audit University for a lesson outside the classroom.

While I was wondering why these museums with the word "China" in their names are not based in Beijing, I arrived at Nantong Museum, the largest one among the cluster, first built in 1905.

A new building covering an area of 6,330 square meters with white walls and green tiles, looking like a big traditional countryside residence, was constructed in 2005 for the museum's 100th birthday.

"The Forbidden City in Beijing turned into the Palace Museum in 1925, 20 years after the founding of Nantong Museum," says Qian Hong, the museum's former curator.

"So you are visiting China's first public museum."