Nanjing Museum

Nanjing Museum is located inside the Zhongshan Gate, in the south of Purple Mountain, Nanjing City. The Museum is a complex of buildings that is modeled after Liao Dynasty palace. Taking an area of 70,000 square meters, with two exhibition halls (history exhibition hall and art exhibition hall) taking 35,000 square meters construction area, both of them being splendid palatial architecture stimulating the architectures in Liao Dynasty, trees and grasses full of the museum decorated by various stone inscription relics, with cultural landscape and natural landscape formed It is one of the first large national comprehensive museum in China, and also the second largest museum in China.

There are about 400,000 artifacts collections in the museum in various types from Paleolithic period to the contemporary era, including stoneware, earthenware, bronze ware, jadeware, chinaware, embroidery, bamboo carving, painting and calligraphy, contemporary and folklore art, and 1,062 cultural relics higher than first national grade. Some of them are very precious to China’s history, such as the full-size suit of armor sewed with silver thread (A highlight of the collections). Some of the amazing artifacts come from the excavation of Chu State tomb from the Warring States period of Chinese history.

One of the highlights of the museum would be the calligraphy and painting collections. Out of about 100,000 pieces of work in these collections, most are from the Jiangsu area during the Ming and Qing dynasties such as 'Wu Men painting school', 'Yangzhou painting school', and 'Jinling painting school'. Most of the works of the modem Chinese painter Fu Baoshi (1904-1965, painter, art historian) and Chen Zhifo (1896-1962, modern arts educator) are displayed here.

The Nanjing Museum also holds the objects excavated during the early part of the twentieth century. These include excavations in Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Sichuan, Gansu and other places. Collections also include artifacts from the southwest parts of China of the Naxi tribe, the Yi tribe, the Miao tribe, and other Chinese minorities.

The Museum applies modern scientific methods of conservation, and is active in displaying its holdings, having mounted some 236 exhibitions. There are 12 permanent exhibition halls at the museum, including Qin Garden, Treasure Hall, Ming and Qing Porcelain Hall, Bronze Ware Hall, Ancient Paintings Hall, Folk Art Hall, Jade Hall, Jiangnan Silk Product Hall, Lacquer Hall, Wu Weishan Sculpture Hall, Earthen Ware Hall, Modern Art Hall. 

Travel Guide

【Website】: www.njmuseum.com
【Best time to visit】: It is suitable for visiting all year around. Best time is from March to May, September to early November.
【How to get to Nanjing Museum in Nanjing】: Taking Bus Routes 5, 9, 29, 34, 36, 51, 55, 59, 201, 202, Y1, Y2 or Y5 to Zhongshanmen Station; Or take the Subway Line 2 to the Minggugong Station(明故宫站), a number of export to East 300 meters and you will get there.