National Museum of China - The Third Largest Museum in the World

There are regular exhibitions and special exhibitions. The regular and permanent ones are Free for all the people who come to visit it with valid ID documents and you can collect your free tickets at the Ticket Office.

The identity documents include ID Card, student ID card, passport, Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao, Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents, driving license.

If you would like to visit a special exhibition, you can book the ticket on the official website of National Museum of China, or purchase tickets at the Ticket Office, the service counter of the West Hall, and the entrance of the exhibition hall.

▶ National Museum of China Opening Time

From 9:00am to 17:00pm

Last admission at 16:30, closed at 17:00 

Closed on Mondays (including statutory national holidays)

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▶ Level -1: permanent exhibition Ancient China, public service areas, Broadcasting Room, Theatre and Lecture Hall. 

▶ Level 1: Theatre, Lecture Hall, Experts Building and the museum access.

▶ Level 2: North Galleries (N1-N4), VIP room, South Galleries (S1-S5), the permanent exhibition The Road of Rejuvenation, public service areas and Central Hall (C1).

▶ Level 3: public services areas, the permanent exhibition The Road of Rejuvenation, North Galleries (N8-N11) and South Galleries (S6-S10).

▶ Level 4: North Galleries (N16-N19), South Galleries (S11-S14), Central Hall 2 (C2), and the museum access.

▶ Level 5: Jade Hall (C3), VIP rooms, and public service areas.

● Venue: Level -1

"Ancient China" exhibits 2026 cultural relics, including 521 first-class cultural relics. It takes Dynasty replacement as the thread and precious cultural relics as the core of the exhibition, showing the continuous development of Chinese civilization. The exhibition can be divided into eight parts: ancient period, Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty (2070 BC - 771 BC), Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), Warring States Period (475 BC - 221 BC), Qin and Han Dynasty (221 BC - 220 AD), Three Kingdoms Period (220 AD - 280 AD), Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties Period (265 AD - 581 AD), Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties Period (581 AD - 979 AD), Liao, Song, Xia, Jin and Yuan Dynasties Period (949 AD - 1402 AD), By appreciating these exquisite exhibits in every dynasty, you can understand the general context of the development of Chinese culture and have a certain understanding of the cultural and artistic characteristics of each period.

● Venue: Gallery S13

At least 8,000 years ago, Chinese ancestors discovered a beautiful stone, jade. Ancient Chinese believed that jade is the quintessence of heaven and earth. It is sacred, often personified, and endowed with aesthetic values, even in modern times, some certain kind of jade is also expensive. The National Museum of China has more than 80,000 ancient jades, all of which are considered by scholars to be the most representative jades in China from the Neolithic (about 5000 years ago) to the Qing Dynasty (1616 AD -1912 AD). They reflect the traditions and aesthetic tastes of the ancient Chinese people.

Step down from the white marble base at the rear of the Hall of Preserving Harmony, a wide courtyard separates the outer court from inner court.

● Venue：Gallery N17

Chinese Porcelain has a long history. The National Museum of China has a rich collection of porcelains and has selected more than 100 pieces (sets) for display. The exhibits ranged from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 771 BC) to the late Qing Dynasty (1616 AD - 1912 AD). Among them, there are several masterpieces in the history of Porcelain, such as lotus-pattern Celadon of the Southern and Northern Dynasties (420 AD - 581 AD), olive-green porcelain of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD), cloud-dragon-pattern blue-and-white jar of the Yuan Dynasty, Peony-pattern blue and white trays, etc.

● Venue: Gallery S11

The earliest money in China appeared at least in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC - 771 BC) and developed in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC - 256 BC). During the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 207 BC), the emperor unified various currencies. Chinese money is also famous for its excellent calligraphy and casting skills.

There are more than 1700 items on display, including early shells, knife-shaped coins, round coins and coins with a square hole in the middle. These coins have been used for more than 2000 years, and the machine-made copper or silver coins appeared in the late Qing Dynasty (1616 AD - 1912 AD).

● Venue：Central Hall 2

After Buddhism spread into China around the 1st century A.D, it gradually reformed under the influence of Chinese culture. The themes, materials and crafts of ancient Chinese Buddhist sculptures vary from region to time. These sculptures show the evolution of Chinese Buddhist sculptures and inspire ancient Chinese people's understanding of Buddhist philosophy through artistic expression.

● Venue : Public Place on the Platform of F3

The exhibition holds 30 stone carvings collected by the National Museum of China from Sichuan, representing the best stone carvings unearthed from tombs of the Song Dynasty (960 AD - 1279 AD). Most of them are in delicate bas relief with vivid and realistic characters. These exhibits, featuring vivid characters and unique musical instruments, help people understand more of the living customs, costume characteristics and entertainment methods in the Song Dynasty, and they are valuable materials for the study of the history of Song.

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By the end of 2018, there are 172 museums of various types in Beijing, which is a city with the second largest number of museums in the world. Apart from the most representative National Museum and the Palace Museum. There are also other museums recommended, such as the Capital Museum, the Ming Tomb Museum, the Yonghe Palace Museum of Art, and the Beijing Museum of Ancient Architecture. If you are interested in art, you are also recommended to visit the China Museum of Fine Arts, the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum. If you go to Songzhuang (宋庄) or 798 Art District, you will have more private museums to explore.

As the capital city of China for centuries, Beijing is an internatinal metropolis with numerous historic scenic sites. Besides National Museum of China, you can also visit the Forbidden City to witness the royal buildings of the ancient China empire, hike on the incredible Great Wall, and wander along the traditional hutongs to experience the authentic local life...all of your dreams about Beijing can be tangible in our Beijing tours.

In only 2 or 3 days, you can have a trip in Beijing which will cover the most popular attractions - Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Hutongs, which is available for to 144 Hours Visa-free for Transit in Beijing. If you have more time, you can go for an in-depth Great Wall hiking or photography tour, and explore more attractions in the city.

Also, you can easily travel from Beijing to any other hot travel destinations in China by flight or train, such as Xian, Shanghai, Guilin, Lhasa, Hong Kong, etc. China Discovery has designed many classic China tour packages including Beijing for you. Let us customize one Beijing Tour including National Museum for you.

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