National Museum of China

Introducing National Museum of China
Compared to the ancestral temple of Chinese culture, the National Museum of China is the supreme palace of history and art in China displaying China’s excellent traditional culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture. It houses more than 1.4 million objects as the embodiment and witness of China’s 5,000-year brilliant civilization.

National Museum of China Fast Facts
• Chinese Name: Zhongguo Guojia Bowuguan 中国国家博物馆
• Best Time to Visit: All year around
• Recommended Visiting Hours: About 2 to 3 hours
• Things to Do: Photography, Chinese Culture and History
• Opening Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-17:00
• Entrance Fee: Free
• Address: No.16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng District, Beijing

What to expect at National Museum of China
The National Museum of China, a four-storeyed main building with two symmetrical wings, runs more than 300 meters north and south along the eastern side of Tian'anmen Square. The predecessors of the National Museum are two museums: the Museum of Chinese History and the Museum of Chinese Revolution, which shared the same building complex. The building was one of ten famous architectures built in 1959 to mark the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic. The Museum of Chinese History was in the South Wing while the North Wing housed the Museum of the Chinese Revolution. They were both opened to the public in 1961.

The Museum of Chinese History displays three main periods of Chinese history. The first, the Primitive Society, spans from 500,000BC to 4,000BC. The exhibits in the Slavery Society section cover the time from 2,100BC to 475BC and the Feudal Society exhibits focus on the period from 221BC to 1911.
Many of the items on display are national treasures and precious rarities. Examples include the famous fossil remains of Yuanmo Man and Beijing Man, the remarkable painted pottery and jade wares of the Neolithic Age, the Simuwu Rectangle Ding (a kind of vessel) of the Shang Dynasty (cast over 3, 000 years ago and weighing 832. 84kg -- the heaviest ancient bronze ware in the world), the Shang Dynasty square bronze Zun (wine vessel) decorated with four sheep heads and the large inscribed Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771BC) bronze Pan (water container). Such treasures as these depict the rich and disparate evolution of the Chinese civilization.

The Museum of the Chinese Revolution emphasizes the history of the past 150 years, in particular the history of the Communist Party of China. It is divided into three sections.The exhibits in the Old Democratic Revolution section cover the period from 1840 to 1911. Events between 1911 and 1949 fall into the New Democratic Revolution section. The third section is entitled "The Triumph of the Revolution and the Establishment of Socialism" and covers events after 1949.

Much of China's modern history is exhibited, including the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (1919-1921), the first two civil wars (1924-1927 and 1927-1937), the resistance war against Japanese aggression (1937-1945) and the liberation war (1945-1949). The museum is frequently updated to reflect the developments of modern political history.

How to get to National Museum of China

By Bus
• Take bus No. 1, 2, 52, 82, 120, Sightseeing Line 2, Tourist Bus Line 1 or 2, and get off at Tiananmen Dong Station.

By Metro
• Take Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen Dong Station(Exit C or D).

Additional travel advice on National Museum of China
• The Museum is closed on Monday expect Chinese public holidays.
• Please book the ticket on day prior to the visit date at least at official website (http://ticket.chnmuseum.cn) with your passport details.
• The museum issues 3,000 free ticket a day.
• Keep your passport on you to claim the ticket.
• Photography is permitted but using flash, selfie stick or tripod is prohibited.