National Museum of China

Standing on the eastern edge of Tiananmen Square, the National Museum of China is an imposing structure that commands attention. Formed in 2003 by the merger of the Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the National Museum of…

Descending into the B1 level, we begin at the very beginning. The 'Ancient China' exhibition starts with the prehistoric era, featuring a lifelike bust of 'Beijing Man,' based on archaeological findings of Homo erectus fossils…

The museum vividly documents the birth of the unified Chinese state under the Qin and its subsequent expansion during the Han Dynasty. Here, you will find authentic Terracotta Warriors brought from Xi'an, standing as silent…

As we move into the Tang Dynasty section, the color palette changes. This was China’s 'Golden Age,' a period of unprecedented cosmopolitanism and artistic flourishing. …

The later imperial period is represented by the Ming and Qing dynasties, a time of grand architecture and refined material culture. You will see massive 'Nanmu' wood chests once used to store the royal archives, and the 'Phoenix…

Leaving the ancient world behind, we ascend to the 'Road to Rejuvenation' exhibit, which documents China’s history from the Opium Wars in the mid-19th century to the present day. This is a narrative of national struggle and…

In a separate wing, the museum houses a fascinating collection of 'Gifts of State'—items presented to Chinese leaders by foreign governments over the decades. These range from traditional crafts, like a large porcelain plate from…

Our journey through the National Museum of China concludes, yet we have only scratched the surface of its 1.4 million treasures. We have walked from the prehistoric caves of Zhoukoudian, through the bronze-cast rituals of the…