Nanjing Museum

Nanjing Museum

Nanjing Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Nanjing Museum is a comprehensive museum of historical and artistic artifacts and serves as a patriotic education base for Jiangsu Province and Nanjing City. Housed in the Chaotian Palace — the largest complex of official-style ancient buildings in the southern Yangtze region and a national key cultural relics protection unit — the museum originated from the Nanjing Cultural Relics Preservation Committee formed in the early 1950s and was officially established in 1978. It is responsible for the archaeological excavation and investigation of underground ruins and ancient tombs in the Nanjing area, as well as the protection of cultural relics, collection and preservation of artifacts. Drawing on its rich collection of relics, documents, and research achievements, the museum showcases the development trajectory of Nanjing through various historical periods and highlights the cultural achievements of the ancient capital.

The Nanjing Museum houses a collection of 100,000 cultural relics, spanning from ancient times to the Republic of China. These artifacts are rich in content and hold high historical, artistic, and scientific value, serving as testimonies to Nanjing’s history. The Conservation Department manages the collection and conducts research on the artifacts. Among the collection, highlights that have gained international acclaim include the Nanjing Man Skull Fossil, Celadon Phoenix-patterned Jar with Dish Mouth, Celadon Lotus Zun, Imperial Tombs of the Wang and Xie Clans, Blue-and-White Plum Vase Depicting Xiao He Pursuing Han Xin, Gold-inlaid Jade Belt with Cloud Dragon Motif, Amber Cup with Fisherman and Lotus Design, and the Seven-Treasure Ashoka Pagoda. These are exemplary artifacts representing the essence of different historical periods. In terms of artifact research, the museum has published works such as "Glimpses of the Six Dynasties," "Gold and Jade," "Selection of Seals in the Collection of Nanjing Museum," and "Headwear and Jewelry of the Ming Dynasty." The collection is also featured extensively in publications such as "Essence of Nanjing’s Cultural Relics," "Nanjing Cultural Annals," "Nanjing Cultural Relics Annals," and "Cultural Relics Annals of Jiangsu Province."

The museum focuses its exhibitions on presenting the historical and cultural legacy of the ancient capital Nanjing. Based on the characteristics of its collections and in combination with historical texts, it has organized dozens of exhibitions in recent years that have been widely loved by visitors, including "Glimpses of the Six Dynasties," "Imperial Nanjing," "Mighty Nanjing — A Historical Exhibition of Nanjing," "Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers — Archaeological Achievements Exhibition," "Roar of the Dragon — Exhibition of Rare Treasures from the Collection," and "Treasure Ships, the Western Seas, and Zheng He." Among these, the "Glimpses of the Six Dynasties" exhibition won the first “Top Ten National Fine Exhibitions” award, and “Mighty Nanjing — A Historical Exhibition of Nanjing” received a nomination for the seventh edition of the same award.

In addition, the museum has frequently hosted international art and cultural relic exhibitions, including "Exhibition of Renaissance Artworks from the Museo Bellini in Italy," "15th–16th Century Florentine Noble Costume Exhibition," "Arabian Art Exhibition," "Giacomo Puccini and Luca Exhibition in Nanjing," "Contemporary Taiwanese Ceramics Exhibition," and "Contemporary Taiwanese Metal Art Exhibition." The museum’s collections have also traveled abroad to countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, sparking great interest among audiences worldwide.

Address: No. 321, East Zhongshan Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing

Type: Museum

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–4 hours

Phone: 025-84807923

Official Website: http://www.njmuseum.com

Opening Hours:

Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00–17:00 (last entry at 16:00); Monday: 9:00–12:00 (last entry at 11:00). The museum is open all day on national holidays that fall on a Monday. Closed on New Year’s Eve and the first day of the Lunar New Year for annual maintenance.

Ticket Information:

Free admission. Visitors can collect free tickets on-site with valid ID (ID card, household registration book, student ID, medical insurance card, etc.). Alternatively, you may reserve a free ticket online in advance via http://www.jswenhui.com/njmuseum and then collect it on-site.

Further Reading:

· National First-Class Museum of China