China Travel – National Museum of China

If you only have 2 or 3 days to spend in China, the National Museum of China may not be a must-visit destination in Beijing. However, if you’re staying for several days or have already checked off your so-called “bucket list,” then this massive museum is an ideal choice, whether you’re a history enthusiast or not.

While the National Museum of China may not be as globally renowned as the British Museum, the Louvre, the Hermitage, or the Smithsonian, it still ranks among the top museums in the world, often considered one of the five or six largest museums globally.

This is a grand museum with multiple levels of exhibition halls. The museum primarily consists of two main exhibition halls that display permanent exhibits: “Ancient China” on the underground level and “The Road to Rejuvenation” near the entrance. There are also several temporary exhibition halls upstairs, some of which require an entrance fee.

In the basement, you can travel through over 5,000 years of history, from Stone Age artifacts to Zhou Dynasty bronzes, Tang Dynasty ceramics, Yuan Dynasty embroidery, Ming Dynasty pottery, and Qing Dynasty cultural items.

The “Road to Rejuvenation” exhibition offers an authoritative perspective on more than 100 years of history.

Location

The museum is located at 16 East Chang’an Avenue, Dongcheng District, Beijing, on the east side of Tiananmen Square. It is 300 meters from Tiananmen Square, 800 meters from Qianmen Street, 1.2 kilometers from Dashilan, 1.5 kilometers from the Forbidden City, 2.3 kilometers from Jingshan Park, 2.7 kilometers from Beihai Park, and 2.7 kilometers from the Temple of Heaven.

Opening Hours, Tickets, and Reservations

1. The museum is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (last entry at 4:00 PM), and it is closed on Mondays (except for public holidays). Night sessions are temporarily suspended.
2. The daily visitor limit is 8,000 people. All visitors must make an online reservation by 4:00 PM on the day of their visit. Reservations are valid for 7 days, and group or on-site reservations are not accepted.
3. The visitor quota is divided into three time slots: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM with a limit of 2,000 people, 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM with a limit of 3,500 people, and 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM with a limit of 2,500 people, until the quota is reached.
4. During the limited reservation period, visitors are required to present their ID, show their health code in real time (or obtain it in advance through the Beijing Health Kit app), and undergo a health check before entering the museum.
5. During the limited reservation period, manual guide services are suspended. Visitors are required to wear masks correctly throughout their visit and maintain a civilized and orderly manner while touring the exhibits.

Travel Tips

1. Show your passport at the ticket office to receive a free ticket.
2. Security is strict, and your belongings will be checked. If you bring a backpack, you will need to store it in the cloakroom for a fee of 10 yuan.
3. Signs are bilingual in Chinese and English, making it easier to navigate the large building.
4. Wear comfortable walking shoes, as the museum has an extensive layout.
5. It takes 3-4 hours to visit the two main exhibition halls, “Ancient China” and “The Road to Rejuvenation.”
6. The museum has well-organized dining options, including a nice café on the first floor where you can enjoy soup and sandwiches at reasonable prices.
7. Wi-Fi is only available if you purchase a coffee and sit down at the café.
8. There are gift shops around the building offering a variety of quality products and souvenirs.
9. Not all galleries have English translations.
10. In exhibition halls where photography is allowed, please do not use flash, selfie sticks, or tripods.
11. The museum lacks engaging activities for children.
12. Electric wheelchairs and elderly walkers are not allowed inside the museum.
13. Consultation hotline: +86 10-65116400 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM) Complaint hotline: +86 10-65116188 (9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)
14. National Museum of China official website: http://en.chnmuseum.cn/