Top 10 Greatest Museums in China - Best China History and Culture Discovery

1. The Palace Museum, Beijing - Biggest Royal Palace Complex

Built on the largest and most well-reserved wooden structure palace complex - Forbidden City of Ming and Qing Dynasty, the Palace Museum is a special World Cultural Heritage, the biggest comprehensive art museum of ancient Chinese culture and the one and only pride for Chinese nation, precious cultural legacy for all human beings. Today, the huge royal palaces are giant treasury with countless valuable gems from Ming & Qing Dynasty, also the living fossil of Chinese imperial history.

Both served as the protection administration of the Forbidden City and collecting, researching and exhibition institution of all ancient Chinese cultural and historical relics from Ming & Qing Dynasty and etc, the Palace Museum has the most complete and best quality collections of 25 main categories up to over 1,800,000artifacts, 8,000 first grade items.

After five hundred years of vicissitudes of history, the imperial palaces finally opens to the public. Most recommended tour route is follow the central axis and visit palaces or halls on both sides. The Period Halls, a popular exhibition method, are the unique presentation of royal palaces in original forms, Cining Palace Garden (Garden of Compassion and Tranquility), Shoukang Palace( Palace of Longevity and Health), Taihe Palace (Hall of Supreme Harmony), Qianqing Palace (Palace of Heavenly Purity) and more are the perfect integration of delicate preserved-relic and ancient architectures. Apart from palace visiting, there are ten permanent galleries exhibiting various types of treasure, including Gallery of Ceramics, Calligraphy &Painting, Bronze, Treasure, Qing Imperial Opera, Jade(closed now), Sculpture, Historic Architecture, Hall of Clocks, Digital Gallery and Kulangsu Gallery of Foreign Artifacts from the Palace Collection. Besides, Palace Museum holds some excellent temporary exhibitions on special cultural themes, out-of-town exhibitions to display marvellous collections of Palace Museum, make culture exchange with other cities.

Notice:

1. Since July 2, 2011, the Palace Museum operate south-north one way tour route, only entrance is the Meridian Gate (South Gate) and exit from Shenwu Gate in the north or Donghua Gate in the east.

2. No smoking within any place in Palace Museum, no scribbles, and no flashlight and tripod when taking photos in exhibition halls.

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2. Shanghai Museum - Half of China’s Cultural Heritages

Enjoying a high reputation at home and abroad, Shanghai Museum is a large gallery of ancient Chinese arts with more than one hundred thousand cultural treasures, features in fantastic collections of bronze, chinaware, calligraphy and paintings. Situated in the south of downtown People Square of Shanghai, the newly built dome-shaped building with square base looks magnificent artfully merging the traditional culture and contemporary style, there are three exhibition halls and twelve special halls in the four floors above and two underground.

A exhibition hall and Exhibitions of Ancient Chinese Bronze (1200 sq m) and Sculpture (640sq m) are located on the first floor where more than 400 exquisite bronzes displayed in elegant wooden cabinet under deep green ambience and over 120 figurines of woodcarvings, pottery sculptures, gold and bronze Buddha statues from Nothern Wei, Sui and Tang Dynasty. Most precious artifact is the stone Buddha statue without one arm from Tang Dynasty, imperfect but praised as Oriental Venus. On the second floor, there is another exhibition hall and Gallery of Ancient Pottery (1300sq m), the later presents more than 500 porcelains in different types and dynasties including polychrome pottery and grey pottery from the Neolithic Age, celadon in Eastern Han, tri-color glazed ceramics during Tang and imperial ceramic in Song, Jin and Liao Dynasty and highlighted part - ancient blue china during Shang, Zhou, Spring & Autumn Period and Warring States Period. Get up to floor three, there goes to the Art Gallery of Ancient Chinese Painting (1200 sq m), Seals (380sq m) and Calligraphy. Writings from Wang Xianzhi, Tang Gaoxian and Huai Su are the masterpieces, drawing of Tang Sunwei, Song Liangkai among the 120 relics are rare treasures of China. Gallery of Ancient Chinese Seal is the pioneer pavilion specialized in more than ten thousand classic and artistic seal boutiques.

The highest location on floor four offers most galleries of National Craft (700sq m), Ancient Chinese Jade, Ming & Qing Furniture (700sq m), Chinese Ancient Currency (730sq m) to have a fast acquaintance of diversity of ancient livings. About 600 exotic ethnic handcrafts, clothes, silk embroideries, metalwork, carvings, pottery, lacquer, bamboo weaving and masks are shown in the Gallery of National Craft. And the Ancient Coin Room of Silk Road are presented with more 7000 distinctive coins of various material and dynasties to reveal the processing of Chinese currency and history of economic exchange between China and foreign countries. In the furniture hall, more than 100 sets of delicate ancient house furnishings from two noble family of Wang Shixiang, Chen Mengjia during Ming & Qing Dynasty are the top level of decoration in appearance, taste and skill for Chinese housing.

Notice: Daily visitor of Shanghai Museum is limited within 5000.

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3. Shaanxi History Museum - China's First Modern Cultural Museum

Located in western of Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, the Shaanxi History Museum, a integrative history museum, is a national first-class museum and the first large modern national museum of China. Co-build by central and local governments, it was rewarded as the architecture heritage of 20th century in China with ancient capital history for 13 glorious ancient dynasties. The abundant cultural legacy, profound cultural accumulation in special Shaanxi history and culture make Shaanxi History Museum a bright pearl, treasury of China and art palace presenting the ancient Shaanxi and Chinese civilization. In the museum, superb collected antiques that on over 1 millions years time scale covers numerous cultural relics in various types, high grade and significant value, including pristine stone implements used by ancient human ancestors, different artifacts of ancient bronze wares, pottery figurines, gold and silver works and unrivaled murals.

To convey the wealthy cultural connotation, Shaanxi History Museum runs multiform exhibitions to unfold the great achievement of Chinese nation in ancient times, which divided into Preface Hall, Permanent Exhibition, Topic Exhibition, Temporary Exhibition and international gallery in central hall five parts. Shaanxi Ancient Civilization, Tang Tombs Murals and Treasures of Great Tang Dynasty are the three must-see of Shaanxi History Museum.

Initially opened in 2008, the basic exhibition of Shaanxi Ancient Civilization reveals development of ancient social civilization through combinations of display of classic relics from each age in the halls covering 4600sq m. Seven parts of prehistory, Zhou, Qin, Han, Wei&Jin& Southern& Northern Dynasty, Sui&Tang, Song&Yuan&Ming&Qing in three halls highlights the top level of ancient Chinese economy with more than 2,000 valuable exhibits, including painted pottery, bronzes in Zhou, ancient weapons, architecture components from Qin, and gorgeous gold and silver wares in Tang. With an area of 4200sq m, the Tang Tombs Murals Hall on the first floor underground of east gallery shows about 600 fresco boutiques to 1000 sq m, which 18 (5 sets) paintings are noted as national treasure, 82 (69 sets) are first grade. Murals paintings unique style buildings, vivid figures and characteristic utensils, lively landscape here are important literature to research noble life of Tang Dynasty. Another major permanent exhibitions - Treasure of Great Tang Dynasty displays more than 30 sets of jades and jewelry found in Hejia Village in 1970, 466 Chinese coins made in gold, silver, copper and ancient Japanese silver coins, gold coins of Eastern Rome, including the well-known national treasure Agate Cup with Gold Animal Head from, wine vessel of Tang Dynasty.

Topic Exhibitions are mainly irregular displays on technical and professional themes. As a supplement for basic and topic exhibitions, the short but refreshing temporary exhibitions introduced in each year serves as an culture exchange and a cultural window for the society.

Notice: Paid services include the temporary exhibition, guide interpretation, the audio guide rent, parking, souvenirs, the book sales, catering services and so on.

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4. Nanjing Museum – The Oldest National Museum of China

The former National Central Museum in 1933, the oldest museum of China, is the previous existence of Nanjing Museum - one of the Top three museums of China and the first large national comprehensive museum in China. It belongs to the eight national museums co-built from both central and local, where collections rank top three of China. Relics from Palaeolithic Age to contemporary era covers stoneware, crockery, jades, bronze ware, porcelain, painting and calligraphy, embroidery, folklore and art articles in high value of history and culture, cover 1,062 cultural relics higher than first national grade.

With over 80 years’ advance, now the Nanjing Museum forms a feature of six distinctive galleries within one museum building through adding the four galleries of Temporary, Republican Period, Intangible Heritage, and Digital Gallery based on the two galleries of Art and History. Every year, Nanjing Museum holds more than ten temporary exhibitions besides the basic, including theme exhibition of collection, essence exhibition of cultural relics from other provinces, modern art exhibition.

Gallery of History is composed of six exhibition halls, three on the first floor and three on the second. The Display of Jiangsu History is the basic exhibition in Gallery of History with nearly 3,000 archaeological and ethnological relics and literatures exhibiting political, economic and cultural processing of Jiangsu Province. The newly built Gallery of Temporary is aimed at temporary display and special shows to exchange between various cultures and arts within the ten halls. In the eights halls of Gallery of Art, there are classified themed exhibits of ancient painting, calligraphy, sculpture and special halls for famous artists, such as the great Chinese Painting artist Fu Baoshi, claborate-style painter Chen Zhifo and oil painting master Su Tianchi. Themed architectures of old restaurant, tea house, newspaper office, post office, theatre and railway station in Galley of Republican Period make the visitors pass across the time and space to see the original people living during the Republican Period. Turn to the Gallery of Intangible Heritage, apart from the intangible cultural heritages of Jiangsu Province, some dynamic show of popular folk activities, traditional handicraft and verbal performance are still valuable cultural legacy should get attention and well protection. If you wants tour Nanjing Museum anytime, the Digital Gallery consisting of two parts in reality and online creates a virtual pavilion like the real one but never close, making the ancient civilization of Jiangsu exhibited online.

Notice: Only the basic permanent exhibitions and themed exhibitions of collections are opened to the public free of charge, organized temporary exhibitions and shows are excluded in the free tour of Nanjing Museum.

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5. National Museum of China - the Largest Worldfamous Teasury

Merged from the Chinese History Museum and Museum of Chinese Revolution in 2003, National Museum of China is the largest museum of single building area in China and the world’s top popular cultural architecture rich in profound historic and cultural heritages. Famous for the comprehensive status with collection, exhibition, research, archaeology and public education, the National Museum has become the ancestral hall for Chinese Civilization, the Cradle of Chinese Dream where records over 5000 years' history and culture of China and preserve countless national treasures, the sublime spiritual homeland Chinese people inherit history and develop future. It is an important dialogue channel with the world, a magnificent palace showing brilliant achievements of historical and cultural arts and social development of the entire human civilization.

As one the Chinese museums with affluent relic collections, the 5-storied building highs 42.5 m with 48 exhibition halls, and huge Lecture Hall, Theatre, library and public leisure space. Except permanent exhibitions including Ancient China and The Road of Rejuvenation , National Museum of China holds plenty of long-term theme exhibitions, like Ancient Chinese Buddhist Sculpture and Ancient Chinese Bronze Art (both in No.2 Central Hall on F3), Exhibition for Fan Painting of Ming & Qing Dynasties, Collection of Architectural Design, Ancient Chinese Jade Art, Ancient Chinese Money and etc in North and South Galleries.

On basement level one, the permanent Exhibition of Ancient China including eight periods of Ancient Time, Xia & Shang & Western Zhou, Spring & Autumn Period, Qin & Han Dynasties, Sui & Tang &Five Dynasties… presents the long development of Chinese Civilization via 2026 valuable exhibits, 521 first grade cultural relics along with the ancient dynasties alternation. Major heritages of Ancient China encompasses various antiques used by Yuanmou Man, Peking Man in far Stone Age, masterful bronzes from early dynasties of Xia, Shang and Western Zhou, Langya Caved Stones, Painted terracotta warriors from powerful Qin and Han, and sophisticated typical artifacts in all kingdoms. Public Service area, Lecture Hall and Theatre, Broadcasting Room are on the same location.

Up to the first floor, there are North Galleries (N1~N4), South Galleries (S1~S5) and another permanent Exhibition of the Road of Rejuvenation on both sides of the Central Hall 1. Modern China and Contemporary China are the two basic displays which retrospect the general development during the 100 years history of China from the First Opium War in 1840 to the establishment of PRC in 1949 with more than 2300 objects, literatures, restored sites.

Exhibition of the Road to Rejuvenation continues in larges galleries on the 2nd floor, and more North Galleries (N8~N11) and South Galleries (S6~S10) are set up here. On the 3rd floor, there are Central Hall 2, North Galleries (N16~19) and South Galleries (S11~S14). Besides, the Experts Building for professional researchers stands in the specialized floor with Lecture Hall and Theatre.

More Popular Theme Exhibitions in National Museum of China:

1. A Review of Li Baorui’s Art on 80th Anniversary of His Bir

Date: December 10, 2017~December 20, 2017

Venue: Gallery S1 on basement one

2. Stone Sculpture Art of the Song Dynasty

Date: Theme Exhibition (Permanent)

Venue: Public Area on F3

3. Ancient Chinese Porcelain Art

Date: On Regular Display

Venue: Gallery N17

4. Splendid Artwork in Wood – Chinese Ming & Qing Furniture

Date: On Regular Display (opened from September 26, 2013)

Venue: Gallery N9

Notice: No flashlight, tripods are forbidden to use when taking photos. Photo permission for introduced temporary exhibitions will be reminded with clearly signs at entrance and within the exhibition halls.

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6. Hunan Museum – Top 8 National First Class Gallery

Five years’ quality expansion brings us a brand new Hunan Museum, the largest historical museum of fine arts of Hunan expressing ancient culture. In the afternoon on November 29, 2017, the Hunan Museum - one of the eight national museums co-constructed by central and local governments reopened to the public, again people get good accesses to know about the civilization development of Hunan and appreciate the profound culture mystery.

Layout of Hunan Museum contains five floors and one basement underground with two permanent exhibitions (Mawangdui and Hunanese) and four themed exhibitions (about bronze, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, crafts) to present excellent human cultural heritages. The Top is the Multi-function Hall, and visitor restaurant and roof garden is on the fourth floor. Themed Exhibition and Changsha Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tombs Exhibition is on the third floor. Three old tombs from West Han Dynasty were unearthed from 1972 ~1974, the highly complicated tomb structure and rich burial objects including silks, manuscripts, silk paintings, lacquer, pottery, seals, Chinese herbal medicines and etc. up to over 3000, making it one the most significant archaeological finds in 20th century.

On floor 2, the Hunanese Exhibition next to Education center is the special local history and culture exploration of natural livings and civilization process. It comprises of five parts, Home, Where Do I (Hunan) Come from - Huzhua Mountain Ruins, Wealth of Lake Dongting, Trace of Everyday Life - Minfang Lei Urn-shaped Bronze Wine-Vessel, a national treasure reunited with pieces bought from overseas in 2014 and Spirit of Hunan showing the heptachord of Tan Sitong. There two temporary exhibition galleries on the left and middle front facing the main entrance, Mawangdui Tombs Exhibition and academic auditorium, book store, VR experience area and shop on the first floor.

Notice: The best visiting route is go to the Hunanese Exhibition on 2rd floor firstly and then the Mawangdui Exhibition on the third floor.

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7. Hubei Provincial Museum - The Largest Exhibition of Ancient Chime

Once named by the Vice President Dong Biwu in 1960, Hubei Provincial Museum is a national first-class museum and one of the eight state museum jointly built by central and local governments. It is an AAAAA scenic area, key scientific research base for lacquerware protection and the largest museum with the most collections and the superior scientific strength.

Apart from the great tour treasures, there collects large number of relics discovered, distinctively local and present the ancient society of Hubei, such as the precious eggshell painted pottery of spindle wheel from Qujialing Culture in Neolithic Period, Jade human and hawk from Tianmen Shijia Ruins, the large jade Ge and bronze tripod excavated in Panlong City.

Currently, Hubei Provincial Museum opens about 10 permanent exhibitions, each year introduce some temporary exhibitions like the Buddha Exhibition of Buddhist Art of Gandhara, and occasional domestic or foreign exchange exhibitions. Extension cultural performance of Chime Pay and Dance won high compliment since it shows to the public the grand ancient royal singing and dancing scene reproduced on the modern stage.

Found in 1978, Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng is the emperor tomb with 2400 years, and over ten thousand of well-reserved relics were discovered here, quite a stir in the world then. Exhibition of Chu Culture is the quintessence exhibition of the Chu tombs, presents a full picture of the splendid material and ideological culture of the Chu people. A gold ingot exhibited in the Tomb of Prince Liangzhuang is the treasure proved the story of Zheng He travelling to West Ocean. More 7 exhibitions includes lacquered articles in the Qin & Han Dynasties, luminaries of Hubei during a century, porcelain, Jiuliandun, Panlong City and etc all explain the marvelous ancient culture in writing, ceramic, lacquer, bronze.

Notice: The museum offers some free of charge seasonal Rites and Music lessons for people interested in.

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8. Henan Museum - Birthplace of China's Most Ancient Capitals

Henan Museum is one of the oldest museums of China and a first national museum constructed by central and local government. The brand new site was removed several time from Kaifeng to Zhengzhou and reopened in May 1 1998 as one of the great comprehensive museum in China, collecting more than 5000 pieces of First and Second Grade Cultural Relics.

All architecture of the museum is well-constructed in grandiose, primitive and elegant shape with unique artistic style, excellent embodiment of Central Plain Culture. Such as the pyramidal main pavilion in the center location is the most important exhibition gallery, other buildings for comprehensive service and business, training and relics storeroom lies in the neighborhood.

In 2009, the former exhibition halls get upgrade into a permanent exhibition hall Ancient Astronomy and four theme galleries and special exhibitions. In the Ancient Astronomy, there are eight exhibition halls, the four of Primitive Society, Xia & Shang Dynasty, Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou are on the floor one, the rest four including Western Han and Eastern Han Dynasty Hall, Han Jin Dynasty Hall, Sui & Tang Hall and Song & Yuan Dynasty Hall are on the second floor.

The four theme exhibition halls are the gallery showing multiple relics. The Chu State Bronze Hall largely display the bronze treasures founded in the nobles tombs during Chu of Henan. Cloud Design Jin here is the earliest cast article made in method of cire purdue. Jades from the Ancient Jade Article Hall express the rich Central China's jade culture during Xia, Shang, Zhou Dynasties for thousands of years. Porcelain, embroidery, ivory carving, lacquerware, gold and silver qntiques in the Ming & Qing Treasure Hall is the glorious development of ancient China. Ancient Stone Carvings Hall reserves attractive stone portraits of Han Dynasty discovered in Nanyang and Shangqiu of Henan.

Notice:

1. In order to make the best protection of visitors and relics, the maximum daily capacity is limited up to 5000, 3000 in the morning and 2000 in the afternoon.

2. Chinese Guide Interpretation is charged 100RMB or 80RMB based on the working experience of interpreter, and English Guide Interpretation is 150RMB.

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9. Liaoning Provincial Museum - The First Museum in New China

Won the most honorable China Building Construction Luban Awards in 2014, the newly built Liaoning Provincial Museum is the first museum of PRC and the biggest one in northeastern China. For historical reasons, essence of Liaoning Provincial Museum is the Ming and Qing Jades in high quality and most variety in China. After long period of repair and expansion, currently the three-stored building establish five areas covering 42,979 sq m of 22 exhibition halls, only opens the six exhibition halls on the first floor to the public.

Much bronze relief sculptures themed long history of Liao are created on the walls to reveal the brilliant culture in the past. Exhibition halls on first floor (8739sq m) are mainly used for exhibitions of historical and cultural relic introduced from domestic and abroad, and more halls hold exhibitions of collected items like the Ancient Chinese Epitaphs, the Porcelain Wares of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Jades of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Treasure Exhibition of Tibet Fine Cultural Relics.

As for halls on the second floor are planning to exhibit the collected Liao porcelain wares, currencies, Buddhism statue, royal seals, bronze mirrors and Manchu folk custom, including temporary exhibitions of Select Ceramic Ware of Liao Dynasty and Buddha statue of ancient China. On the third floor, five halls are set to hold cultural relics including calligraphy, painting and silk embroideries.

Visitor Centers (11171sq m) includes multimedia report hall, audience interactive exploration area, volunteer center and souvenir store. One floor below is the Cultural Relic Warehouse (10019sq m). Area of Cultural Relics Preservation (7456sq m) is the work site for experts to restore relic. The Comprehensive Business Area (13110 sqm) mainly consist of display center, information center, cultural exchange center and library.

Notice: Optional services like irregular guide explanation, books and souvenirs needs to be paid within the museum.

10. Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum - Cultural Garden on Jinsha Ruins

Built on the Jinsha Ruins (the oldest site in Chengdu), Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum is a modern garden museum displaying the ancient Shu Culture of Sichuan during Shang and Zhou Dynasties and a landmark in Chengdu City. Ruins Gallery and Exhibition Hall constructed on slopes are the two major architectures of Jinsha Site Museum, which the slowly rising site. Design of the Ruins Gallery in circular, exhibition building in square are the best two symbol of the cosmology ancient people thought universe is orbicular and earth is rectangular.

Ruins Gallery facing Qingyang Avenue of East Gate is the site where found the huge places to offer sacrifice of Jinsha Ruins, and it is the best reserved big site holding worship ceremony in China. The showing of original discovery, huge tree roots not only keep the integrity and authenticity of relics but also bring visitor visual shocks. Here is the perfect scene to truly feel grandiose ancient sacrifice and closely look the Archaeological works.

Site Exhibition Hall in the north includes five halls and a 4D cinema on the two floors and one basement. Hall No.1 is Primitive Homeland (900sq m) located in the west hall on 2nd floor. Together with the well-designed live-action, the diorama presents a actual living environment of ancestors from 3000 years ago. King Palace at a Glance (900sq m) is Hall No.2 in eastern hall of the second floor shows the lives sketches of residence, tools, tomb, making pottery and etc of ancient Jinsha people, through hi technology in scenes recovery. On the first floor, Immortal Heaven & Earth (1000sq m) in the east exhibits much exquisite artifacts like gold, bronze, jade, stone, ivory in the dim light, which illustrate the once resplendent and fantastic country. Peak of Perfection in the west 1st floor is the highlight where assemble over 30 boutiques like the noble gold wares, mysterious bronzes, gorgeous jadeware and stones. The 4D cinima is next to the Hall No.3 - Immortal Heaven & Earth. Underground Seeking of Mysteries of Jinsha (800sq m) shows the close connection among Jinsha Culture and Baodun Culture, Sanxingdui Culture and around Shu cultures. Northwestern Jinsha Theatre is where the first China huge original musical - Jinsha holds.

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