Wuxi, China

Heilan Horse Culture Museum

A palatial horse museum outside Shanghai is home to the most pampered horses in the world.

Not every horse pen can be made of marble and cleaned with a buffer, but at the Heilan Horse Culture Museum in Jiangyin City, China, the stables are just that nice.

There are 43 breeds of horses at this unique horse museum, representing 30 different countries, from Germany and Spain to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, as well as some native to China. All in all, there are more than 300 horses, many of them very high-end. There are also a few zebras.

The horses on display are “dressed” for the occasion. Some of their manes are braided, or styled in ripples or waves. The horses live in proper stables, but are displayed in luxurious marble pens to greet visitors. The palatial museum is decorated with chandeliers, carpeted grand staircases, amazing statues, gold ceilings, and a shopping mall.

There is also a glorious performance space for dressage, in which the Heilan Equestrian Club broke the Guinness World Record for the largest horse dressage ever in 2015. The show included 30 black horses, 30 white horses, and a riding team of all women.

Located about an hour and a half north of Shanghai, the museum was founded as part of an effort by the Heilan Group, a menswear manufacturer in China, to expand into the tourism industry. It is part of a larger “Luxury Town” project that is set to include a water park, university, and cultural center.

When the museum was built in 2009 the Heilan Equestrian club moved in, providing training, performances, and competitions—the first comprehensive equestrian facility in China. The museum was opened to the public in May of 2016. The club has 100 members and employs many professional equestrian trainers and coaches from around the world. There are also onsite veterinarians to take care of the horses.