This museum was originally the residence of the warlord Ma Bufang, and sections of the house have been left intact to show the history and living conditions during his residence. Since this time, it has been extended many times and now occupies 30,000 square meters in a variety of architectural styles. Rare stones, folk customs of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and artifacts from Tibetan, Tu, Hui and Mongolian cultures are displayed in some of the 290 rooms. Sections of the building have been made from jade rock which has earnt the museum the nickname ''jade residence''.