Nanjing Museum

Welcome to the Nanjing Museum, one of the three major museums in China and a paramount institution for the study of Chinese civilization. As your guide, I am thrilled to introduce you to a site that is as much a part of modern…

Our tour begins with the Main Hall, a striking example of the 'National Style' architecture that emerged in China during the Republican period. Designed in the 1930s, the building features traditional Chinese architectural…

We now enter what is arguably the most famous part of the Nanjing Museum: the Ceramic Hall. As we discussed, this collection is unique because it was largely left behind when other treasures were moved to Taiwan, simply because…

The Hall of Ancient Civilizations takes us back to the very beginnings of human history in the Yangtze River region. This gallery features a chronological display of artifacts from the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages, all the way…

One of the most innovative features of the Nanjing Museum is the Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall. Unlike the other galleries, which focus on static objects, this hall is dedicated to the 'living' traditions of the Jiangsu…

The Art Hall of the Nanjing Museum houses an extensive and world-class collection of Chinese calligraphy and painting. In traditional Chinese culture, these were the highest forms of artistic expression, often practiced by the…

For a completely different museum experience, we descend to the 'Republic of China Street' in the basement of the museum complex. This is an immersive, life-sized recreation of a Nanjing street from the 1920s and 30s, complete…

As we conclude our journey through the Nanjing Museum, I hope you carry with you a sense of the incredible depth and continuity of Chinese civilization. We have traveled from the stone tools of the Neolithic to the gilded…