National Museum Of China
National Museum Of China
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
**This establishment is temporarily closed**This museum features changing exhibits related to political themes such as the Opium Wars, the founding of the Communist Party, the Sino-French and Sino-Japanese Wars, the Japanese War, the 1911 Revolution and the social unrest of 1989.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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How to get there
- Tian'anmen East • 3 min walk
- Qianmen • 9 min walk
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4.0
952 reviews
Excellent
465
Very good
311
Average
136
Poor
25
Terrible
16
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BettyG
70 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
If you are foreigner, save some nerves and simply forget about going inside. It was a rainy day so we looked for some indoor activity. They were seding us from one door to another, we needed to go through security check (very detailed one!) and finally - after going there and back for 30 minutes and trying to go in - they told us we cannot enter as we are not chinese. Despite the fact we are living in china for several years. Oh, and nobody speaks english of course.
Written 25 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debbie l
5 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
Disgusting. To visit the museum you need to register in advance. If I had known how everything works here, I would never have bought a visa to this country.
Don’t waste your money, time and nerves, don’t go to this country, they don’t want to see tourists:
1. You cannot visit attractions without an appointment or without a guide.
2. no signs in any language other than Chinese
3.they constantly check your passport in the hope that something will change there (probably lol).
4.none of them speak any language other than Chinese. They are not aware that English is an international language.
China is a test case for North Korea. Or a demo version of the Soviet Union. Modern Russia is much more attractive than China.
Don’t waste your money, time and nerves, don’t go to this country, they don’t want to see tourists:
1. You cannot visit attractions without an appointment or without a guide.
2. no signs in any language other than Chinese
3.they constantly check your passport in the hope that something will change there (probably lol).
4.none of them speak any language other than Chinese. They are not aware that English is an international language.
China is a test case for North Korea. Or a demo version of the Soviet Union. Modern Russia is much more attractive than China.
Written 9 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
allen290
15 contributions
Mar 2021 • Solo
It looks like foreigners are allowed in again as I just needed to flash my.passport and show them my health code and reservation, which anyone can book online for free. It's a nice, big orderly museum but without English explanations
Written 13 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aviation Central
Sydney, Australia188 contributions
Nov 2023 • Family
A very big museum to embark on your trip to China! So much rich history to see inside its four floors. There are so many exhibitions that you can stay for a day and not be able to read all of the descriptions. Very awesome :)
Written 8 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,580 contributions
May 2019 • Solo
This is a world leading museum. Many of the exhibits keep changing every three to four months. I was here four months earlier, and on this visit I spent 90% of my time viewing exhibits that were not here in January. On this visit I concentrated view the bronze and resin sculptures (Exhibit section “Sculpting the souls), the big beautiful ladies sculptures (Exhibit section “Singing in the prosperous time”), and a Joint Exhibition of Asian Civilizations).
I took the Beijing Metro/Subway to get to the museum. Take the Metro to Tian’anmen East Station on Line 1, and take Exit D.
I took the Beijing Metro/Subway to get to the museum. Take the Metro to Tian’anmen East Station on Line 1, and take Exit D.
Written 30 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,580 contributions
Jan 2019 • Solo
Back again to view new exhibitions and go through some of my favourites. Although entry to the museum is free, sometimes one has to pay a fee to enter special exhibition areas. This time, I had to pay 30 rmb to view the exhibits in the WONDER LAB area. These are exceptionally beautiful works of art, and most, unique. They are the works of French Master Artisans, and have been on temporary display since January 11th and will be available for viewing here until March 17th.
Before entering the museum, one has to go through a security check. While being checked, they detected a pen in one of my pockets. They removed it and told me that visitors are not allowed to take pens into the museum. Then they threw my pen into a bin containing pens. When I checked the National Museum of China, I did not see pens in the list of restricted items. The restricted listed items are luggage, knives, lighters, compact discs, dangerous articles, and pets are not allowed.It was not a big issue for me, as it was a pen from the Doubletree by Hilton Beijing.
Admission to the museum is free, except for some special exhibitions, such as the WONDER LAB exhibition.
WOW . . . At the time of my writing, there were only 880 reviews the on TripAdvisor of the National Museum of China. Why is it not 25 times that number? Is it because the majority of the visitors are Chinese and most don’t use this great source of information?
Before entering the museum, one has to go through a security check. While being checked, they detected a pen in one of my pockets. They removed it and told me that visitors are not allowed to take pens into the museum. Then they threw my pen into a bin containing pens. When I checked the National Museum of China, I did not see pens in the list of restricted items. The restricted listed items are luggage, knives, lighters, compact discs, dangerous articles, and pets are not allowed.It was not a big issue for me, as it was a pen from the Doubletree by Hilton Beijing.
Admission to the museum is free, except for some special exhibitions, such as the WONDER LAB exhibition.
WOW . . . At the time of my writing, there were only 880 reviews the on TripAdvisor of the National Museum of China. Why is it not 25 times that number? Is it because the majority of the visitors are Chinese and most don’t use this great source of information?
Written 23 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
InnaYYZ
Toronto, Canada1,493 contributions
Sept 2019 • Business
I come here a few times a year. Many of the non-China collections change every few months. This is the best museum in China, and when China builds almost anything, it is world class best. Well worth a visit. On most visits, I stay about three to four hours.
Written 13 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ACE_BU
Beijing, China5 contributions
Feb 2019 • Friends
I took the subway line One to the National Museum of China, and got off the subway at Tian’anmen east station. I arrived at the National Museum of China after five minutes.
There were so many people that it took me about five minutes to get in.The ticket is free, but you must show your ID card or passport.You can't bring dangerous goods with you, or the security personnel will confiscate them.
The National Museum of China is excellent, and in the design, there are a lot of architectural features, mainly reflected in the audience interactive experience area, the central hall theatre and cinema west hall eaves, the permanent exhibition is divided into basic and special subject, two parts are the basic display including modern classic art exhibition display of ancient China and renewal, thematic display friendly exchanges, including historical testimony in one hundred countries rich underwater archaeological exhibition of ancient Chinese porcelain art African sculpture museum of fine art and Chinese architectural design exhibition.I think all of the exhibitions are worth seeing.
There are a lot of exhibition, and everyone knows that China has a super long history, so my favorite exhibition is ancient China.If you are going to the National Museum of China,the place you must visit is ancient China.
I stayed in there for 3 hours. Everything was nice. If you have any question,you can ask the volunteers, they are friendly and kind.
There are many places worth visiting near the National Museum of China, such as the Palace Museum, the Tian’anmen square, Great Hall of the People and so on.
I ate lunch at Qianmen Street. I had lunch in BeiHaiQiao boiled pork giblets with baked wheaten paste. It is super delicious.
I recommend going to the national museum of China and hope you enjoy it.
There were so many people that it took me about five minutes to get in.The ticket is free, but you must show your ID card or passport.You can't bring dangerous goods with you, or the security personnel will confiscate them.
The National Museum of China is excellent, and in the design, there are a lot of architectural features, mainly reflected in the audience interactive experience area, the central hall theatre and cinema west hall eaves, the permanent exhibition is divided into basic and special subject, two parts are the basic display including modern classic art exhibition display of ancient China and renewal, thematic display friendly exchanges, including historical testimony in one hundred countries rich underwater archaeological exhibition of ancient Chinese porcelain art African sculpture museum of fine art and Chinese architectural design exhibition.I think all of the exhibitions are worth seeing.
There are a lot of exhibition, and everyone knows that China has a super long history, so my favorite exhibition is ancient China.If you are going to the National Museum of China,the place you must visit is ancient China.
I stayed in there for 3 hours. Everything was nice. If you have any question,you can ask the volunteers, they are friendly and kind.
There are many places worth visiting near the National Museum of China, such as the Palace Museum, the Tian’anmen square, Great Hall of the People and so on.
I ate lunch at Qianmen Street. I had lunch in BeiHaiQiao boiled pork giblets with baked wheaten paste. It is super delicious.
I recommend going to the national museum of China and hope you enjoy it.
Written 9 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlos C
20 contributions
Aug 2017 • Family
The National Museum Of China is a world-class, must stop museum on any tour of Beijing. Artifacts up to 12,000 years old that are in extraordinarily excellent condition. One-of-a-kind pottery and iron of exceptional craftsmanship. Many appear to never have been buried, looking like they came out of the kiln yesterday.
Start in the basement and allocate most of your day there because it contains the real fireworks. The display walks you through Chinese history in chronological order, starting 10s of thousands of years ago up to modernity. The beginning is crowded, but the crowds start to thin out after the first hall or two. Pictures without flash are allowed for all pieces, your only battle will be fending off the crowds. Almost every piece is labeled in English, including estimated creation date and the date and location of excavation.
After the basement, head to Central Hall 1 for some impressive nationalist propaganda artwork that captures the 1949 revolution and aftermath. Even if you disagree with the politics, the artwork is worth the visit, and its a great way to observe how native Chinese react to these moving pieces. In my view, it is similar to Signers' Hall - National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in the way the subject-matter impacts the citizens who experienced national upheaval and the solutions that led to their sovereignty.
I also recommend the Road of Rejuvenation exhibit, which starts with the opium wars and ends, literally, with a hopeful message - a display featuring Kissinger and then Nixon’s 1973 visit. Its useful to see how this museum positions other countries’ influences during an extraordinary period of decline, turmoil, and rejuvination in China.
There are two security checkpoints: one to get into Tianamen Square, another into the museum. There’s an easy way to avoid the long lines at the Tianamen Square checkpoint. Simply get on the subway on any other station besides the Tianamen Square stations. Other stations also have checkpoints, but no lines! Get off at Tianamen East station, come up on the Southwest exit - directly onto the square. You’ll be right in front of the museum. If its a busy day, you’ll see a long line snaking in front of the museum. Just get in the queue. The line moves relatively fast. It took us 30 minutes to get into the museum. Once you ascend the steps, facing the museum, go to the counter on the right-hand side. Show your passport, get tickets, then get into the next line that goes into the museum. There will be a pat down, but it lasts all of about 10 seconds. Not nearly as thorough as a pat down at any USA airport (believe me, I wear a pacemaker, I know all about pat downs).
Some other folks have commented about personnel being “rude” to tourists. Get over it. This is not Japan. Its China. They’ve just come out of 150 years of turmoil, and only recently established a middle class. Chinese are not rude to tourists. Observe and you will see that Chinese are brusque and direct, with everyone. Its just the way things are. Its not rude. If anything, you’ll find Chinese are more curious about foreigners than anything, particularly if you are not Asian. Beijing gets far more internal and Asian tourists than it does Caucasian. And that’s a good thing in my book.
Start in the basement and allocate most of your day there because it contains the real fireworks. The display walks you through Chinese history in chronological order, starting 10s of thousands of years ago up to modernity. The beginning is crowded, but the crowds start to thin out after the first hall or two. Pictures without flash are allowed for all pieces, your only battle will be fending off the crowds. Almost every piece is labeled in English, including estimated creation date and the date and location of excavation.
After the basement, head to Central Hall 1 for some impressive nationalist propaganda artwork that captures the 1949 revolution and aftermath. Even if you disagree with the politics, the artwork is worth the visit, and its a great way to observe how native Chinese react to these moving pieces. In my view, it is similar to Signers' Hall - National Constitution Center in Philadelphia in the way the subject-matter impacts the citizens who experienced national upheaval and the solutions that led to their sovereignty.
I also recommend the Road of Rejuvenation exhibit, which starts with the opium wars and ends, literally, with a hopeful message - a display featuring Kissinger and then Nixon’s 1973 visit. Its useful to see how this museum positions other countries’ influences during an extraordinary period of decline, turmoil, and rejuvination in China.
There are two security checkpoints: one to get into Tianamen Square, another into the museum. There’s an easy way to avoid the long lines at the Tianamen Square checkpoint. Simply get on the subway on any other station besides the Tianamen Square stations. Other stations also have checkpoints, but no lines! Get off at Tianamen East station, come up on the Southwest exit - directly onto the square. You’ll be right in front of the museum. If its a busy day, you’ll see a long line snaking in front of the museum. Just get in the queue. The line moves relatively fast. It took us 30 minutes to get into the museum. Once you ascend the steps, facing the museum, go to the counter on the right-hand side. Show your passport, get tickets, then get into the next line that goes into the museum. There will be a pat down, but it lasts all of about 10 seconds. Not nearly as thorough as a pat down at any USA airport (believe me, I wear a pacemaker, I know all about pat downs).
Some other folks have commented about personnel being “rude” to tourists. Get over it. This is not Japan. Its China. They’ve just come out of 150 years of turmoil, and only recently established a middle class. Chinese are not rude to tourists. Observe and you will see that Chinese are brusque and direct, with everyone. Its just the way things are. Its not rude. If anything, you’ll find Chinese are more curious about foreigners than anything, particularly if you are not Asian. Beijing gets far more internal and Asian tourists than it does Caucasian. And that’s a good thing in my book.
Written 14 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,580 contributions
Feb 2018 • Friends
This was my second time through this massive, 2.07 million square feet museum, the first being about 12 years ago. I’ve gone through over 35 museums in China. This is by far the largest. There is no admission fee. My only cost was for renting a self-guided informative audio tour mobile device, for which I paid 40 rmb.
On this visit, I went through the sections dealing with China’s past from the earliest inhabitants to about 1900, the Africa art exhibit (primarily very beautiful wood carvings), the exhibits of gifts received by Chinese officials from representatives of foreign countries, the exhibit of paintings, and the display of vases. All the displays are excellent. My favourite section is the Ancient China exhibit. This is a large exhibit. Of my four-hour visit, I spend about 2.5 hours going through this massive and very informative exhibit. I read most of the displayed information, listened to the audio cassette sections, and viewed the exhibits. Everything is extremely well displayed. The exhibits are excellent. The artifacts cover hundreds of millions of years.
I took the Metro/subway to get to the museum. I keep a map of the Metro system in my mobile phone. Once I get to Line 2, I got off at Qianmen Station. I had to walk about 600 metres north from there to get to the museum. With security checkpoints, it is best to ask the best route from the Station.
On this visit, I went through the sections dealing with China’s past from the earliest inhabitants to about 1900, the Africa art exhibit (primarily very beautiful wood carvings), the exhibits of gifts received by Chinese officials from representatives of foreign countries, the exhibit of paintings, and the display of vases. All the displays are excellent. My favourite section is the Ancient China exhibit. This is a large exhibit. Of my four-hour visit, I spend about 2.5 hours going through this massive and very informative exhibit. I read most of the displayed information, listened to the audio cassette sections, and viewed the exhibits. Everything is extremely well displayed. The exhibits are excellent. The artifacts cover hundreds of millions of years.
I took the Metro/subway to get to the museum. I keep a map of the Metro system in my mobile phone. Once I get to Line 2, I got off at Qianmen Station. I had to walk about 600 metres north from there to get to the museum. With security checkpoints, it is best to ask the best route from the Station.