The Chinese Museum carries the memory of China's 5,000-year-old civilization and is an important window to display history, art and culture. The following is a selection of six representative museums, from the Ming and Qing royal palaces to national comprehensive exhibition halls, from local historical relics to thematic art collections, each of which hides a unique cultural code and unlocks an in-depth cultural journey for you.
1. Palace Museum: A treasure trove of civilization in the Ming and Qing royal palaces
Formerly known as the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Palace Museum carries a history of more than 600 years and is the largest and most well-preserved wooden palace complex in the world. Standing on the pedestal of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of the "Three Halls of the East", overlooking the wide square and steps, you can immerse yourself in the "exclusive perspective" of ancient emperors.
As the culmination of ancient Chinese cultural and artistic works, the Forbidden City is based on the old collection of the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a collection of more than 180 cultural relics, covering calligraphy and painting, ceramics, bronzes, jewelry and other categories, each reflecting the rise and fall of dynasties and the peak of craftsmanship. Today, the Forbidden City is a must-see for foreign tourists to visit China, with an average annual reception of more than 1,500 tourists, and the scenery of the four seasons is different - the red walls in spring, the ginkgo biloba in autumn, and the snow-covered eaves in winter, all of which have charm, of which November to March of the following year is the official off-season, and there are fewer tourists and easier to visit in depth.
Practical information
- Opening hours: 08:30-16:30 (last admission at 15:30), closed on Mondays (except national holidays)
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Reservations can be made through the official website (https://www.dpm.org.cn) or the WeChat public account of the "Palace Museum", which can be booked as early as 20:00 7 days before the visit
- Ticket Price:
- Peak season (April 1-October 31): Large ticket 60 yuan/person;
- Low season (November 1 - March 31 of the following year): large ticket 40 yuan/person;
- Treasure Hall, Watch Hall: 10 yuan/person each (optional)
- Address: No. 4, Jingshanqian Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
2. National Museum of China: A national temple of civilization
The National Museum of China is the highest historical, cultural and artistic temple representing the collection, research and display of Chinese culture, and it is also the modern comprehensive museum with the largest single construction area in the world. Stepping into the museum, each exhibition hall is like a time and space tunnel connecting ancient and modern times, with a collection of more than 143 cultural relics, covering 5,000 years of Chinese civilization - from ancient stone tools to modern and contemporary revolutionary cultural relics, from bronzes to calligraphy and painting artworks, each exhibit is a witness to civilization, having a silent but profound dialogue with visitors.
The museum takes the three basic displays of "Ancient China", "Road to Rejuvenation" and "Road to Rejuvenation: New Era" as the core, supplemented by various special exhibitions, forming a unique Chinese culture display system. Nowadays, "going to the National Expo to see the exhibition" has become a beautiful scenery of Beijing's cultural life, whether it is tracing the origin of civilization or understanding the changes of the times, this is a must-visit.
Practical information
- Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00), closed on Mondays (except national holidays)
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Make a reservation through the official website (http://www.chnmuseum.cn) or the "National Museum" WeChat public account, and the tickets are free
- Address: No. 16, East Chang'an Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing (east side of Tiananmen Square)
3. Shanghai Museum: The "Encyclopedia" of Ancient Chinese Art
With the mission of "building a spiritual home for Chinese culture and an encyclopedia of human civilization", the Shanghai Museum is a world-renowned top museum of ancient Chinese art. From a high altitude, the overall shape of the building resembles an exquisite Chinese seal, showing the charm of oriental aesthetics. As one of the museums with the most complete collection of ancient Chinese art in the world, the Shanghai Museum has a collection of more than 102 cultural relics, including more than 14.5 precious cultural relics, covering bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, jade, coins and other fields.
The museum is divided into two exhibition areas: the East Hall and the People's Square Pavilion: the East Hall has 20 special exhibition halls, which systematically display the development context of ancient Chinese art, which can be called a "textbook on ancient Chinese art history"; The People's Square Pavilion is positioned as the "World Civilization Museum", relying on more than 10,000 pieces (sets) of foreign cultural relics, showing international cultural themes such as the "Belt and Road". In addition, the Shanghai Museum has innovatively launched the "Cloud Tour Shangbo" digital project, which deeply integrates cultural relics with modern technology, breaking the limitations of time and space through online exhibitions, virtual tours, etc., allowing global audiences to easily experience the charm of art.
Practical Information (East Building)
- Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 (last admission at 17:00), closed on Tuesdays (except national holidays); Individual visitors do not need to make a reservation, and the interactive experience space needs to be reserved separately
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Enter the "Shanghai Museum Visit Reservation" applet through the "GO Shangbo-Visit Reservation" WeChat public account to make an appointment, and the ticket is free
- Address: No. 1952 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Practical Information (People's Square Pavilion)
- Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00), closed on Mondays (except national holidays)
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Enter the "Shanghai Museum Visit Reservation" applet through the "GO Shangbo-Visit Reservation" WeChat public account to make an appointment
- Address: No. 201, Renmin Avenue, Huangpu District, Shanghai
4. Nanjing Museum: The "Living History Book" of Jiangsu Civilization
The Nanjing Museum is located at the foot of Nanjing's Purple Mountain, and its architectural style is unique - the solemn roof of the hall is beautifully painted, as if history and modernity are blended and collided here. The museum has a history museum, art museum, special exhibition hall and other exhibition areas, collecting more than 43 cultural relics, covering bronze, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, jade and other categories.
In order to break the limitations of time and space, the Nanjing Museum actively promotes digital construction, through online exhibitions, virtual exhibition halls, digital displays of cultural relics, etc., allowing audiences to "travel" the exhibition hall without leaving home, conveniently appreciate the historical and cultural charm of Jiangsu, and become a model of digital transformation of local museums.
Practical information
- Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00), closed on Mondays (except national holidays, Chinese New Year's Eve, and the first day of the first lunar month)
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Make a reservation through the official website (https://www.njmuseum.com) or the "Nanjing Museum" WeChat public account, and the tickets are free
- Address: No. 321, Zhongshan East Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province
5. Shaanxi History Museum: The pearl of the ancient capital, the treasure house of China
Relying on the cultural heritage of the ancient capital of the Thirteen Dynasties in Xi'an, the Shaanxi History Museum is known as the "Pearl of the Ancient Capital and the Treasure House of China", and is a famous large-scale modern national museum in China. Its building adopts the Tang style architectural style of "central hall and four corner towers", with clear priorities and staggered heights, showing the majestic and solemn atmosphere of the Tang Dynasty.
The museum collects more than 170 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, with a time span from ancient human stone tools to contemporary artifacts, among which Shang and Zhou bronzes, pottery figurines of past dynasties, Han and Tang gold and silverware, and Tang tomb murals are the most distinctive, which can be called the "condensed essence" of Shaanxi's history and culture. In order to improve the audience experience, the museum has built digital platforms such as official websites and mobile apps, and through 3D scanning, virtual modeling and other technologies, precious cultural relics can be "alive" in digital form.
Practical information
- Opening Hours:
- Summer (March 15-November 14): 8:30-18:00 (last admission at 16:30);
- Winter (November 15 - March 14): 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (last admission at 4:00 p.m.);
- Closed on Mondays (except national holidays)
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Make an appointment through the official website (http://www.sxhm.com) or the WeChat public account of "Shaanxi History Museum", and tickets are free
- Address: No. 91, Xiaozhai East Road, Yanta District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province
6. Hunan Museum: The "Prosperous Window" of Hunan Culture
Hunan Museum is the largest historical and art museum in Hunan Province, located on the banks of the Xiang River in Changsha, the new building is inspired by the design of "Prosperous Dongting", and the huge roof is like a bronze square tripod covering it, highlighting the profound heritage and majestic temperament of Hunan culture.
The museum currently has more than 57 pieces (sets) of collections, and the core creates two basic exhibitions, "Changsha Mawangdui Han Tomb Display" and "Hunan People - Sanxiang History and Culture Exhibition", supplemented by bronze, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, and crafts 4 special exhibition halls, comprehensively displaying the historical relics and cultural characteristics of the Huxiang region - among them, the remains of Mrs. Xin Chui unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb, plain gauze clothes and other cultural relics, are archaeological discoveries that shocked the world. In addition, the museum provides services such as exhibition information inquiry, online reservation, and cultural relics introduction through its official website, WeChat/Alipay mini program, etc., to create a convenient visiting experience for tourists.
Practical information
- Opening hours: 09:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00), closed on Mondays (postponed on statutory holidays)
- Reservation and ticket purchase: Search for "Hunan Museum" through the official website (http://www.hnmuseum.com) or WeChat/Alipay mini program to make an appointment, and the tickets are free
- Address: No. 50, Dongfeng Road, Kaifu District, Changsha City, Hunan Province
