Beijing People's Art Theatre Drama Museum

Beijing People's Art Theatre Drama Museum

The Beijing People's Art Theatre Drama Museum is a patriotic education base.

The Beijing People's Art Theatre Drama Museum is located on the fourth floor of the Capital Theatre at No. 22 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is the first professional museum in China dedicated to showcasing the art of drama, with an exhibition area of 1,300?. In 2007, marking both the centennial of Chinese spoken drama and the 55th anniversary of the founding of Beijing People's Art Theatre, the museum officially opened to the public on June 12 of that year.

Founded in 1952, the Beijing People's Art Theatre has staged over 300 plays of various styles from ancient to modern times, both domestic and international. Over the years, it has developed its own distinctive performance style and accumulated a wealth of valuable artistic materials. The Beijing People's Art Theatre Drama Museum was established on this foundation. The museum integrates collection, research, exhibition, and educational functions, and includes a lobby, history hall, personalities hall, plays hall, stage design hall, and theory and teaching hall. A rich array of photographs, manuscripts, stage design models, costumes, and props form the core of the exhibitions, highlighting the theatre’s founding history, the life and artistic achievements of its founders such as Cao Yu, Jiao Juyin, Ouyang Shanzun, and Zhao Qiyang, as well as classic plays, theoretical development, stagecraft, and talent cultivation. The dazzling “Corridor of Artistic Images” showcases unforgettable characters portrayed by generations of artists on stage over the past 60 years. In addition, the museum regularly hosts commemorative exhibitions, thematic shows, and art lectures, sharing the charm of dramatic art with audiences in various formats.

The museum’s collections hold unique artistic and historical value, including original manuscripts by Cao Yu and Jiao Juyin; correspondence from literary figures such as Guo Moruo, Lao She, Shen Congwen, and Tian Han involved in the creative process of plays; diaries written by numerous performing artists; stage design sketches by scenic artists; and costumes and props made by stagecraft workers—all of which together tell the moving stories that take place both on and off the stage.

Address: No. 22 Wangfujing Street, Beijing

Admission: Free

Reservation phone: 010—65246789—6001

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30–19:00 (Closed on Mondays)

Transportation: Take bus routes 103, 104, 108, 111, or Special Line 11 and get off at Shiyexi Kou Station; or take buses 101, 109, or 58 and get off at Meishuguan East Station. Subway: Line 5, Dongsi Station, Exit D (southwest); or Line 6, Dongsi Station, Exit G (southwest).