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Nanjing Museum

Zhong Shan Dong Lu, China,

Description

The Nanjing Museum (南京博物院) is one of China's largest art & history museums. Its Historical Hall spans the Jiangsu prehistory (there is even a dinosaur skeleton) through to the early 20th century and the Republic of China Hall display exhibits of local life during the short-lived Republic period with replica of streets and a even a tram. The highlights are the artworks and artefacts such as jade, bronze, silk & embroidery, paintings & calligraphies, bejewelled decorative clocks, and a large collection of Ming and Qing imperial porcelain.

Access & Transport

The museum is located east of Nanjing city centre, near the main entrance to Purple Mountain. The easiest is to take metro line 2 until Minggugong station, a 5 mins walk away. Several bus lines also stop there.

Instructions & Recommendations

Although admission is free, it is necessary to book tickets in advance online on the museum's website or its WeChat account

Meta review

Well covered in guidebooks but much less so by bloggers, the museum is actually extremely busy though only a fraction of visitors are foreigners - and directions for registration are pretty unclear once on site (and the online booking isn't easy or doesn't always work). Most reviewers enjoy the exhibits but would not call the museum world class, despite its pretty large size. The ancient sculpture gallery inside the art wing seems to be a favourite. Practical advice regarding F&B: the cafes & restaurants inside are expensive for what you get so you may want to bring your own snack or have a solid meal before going there (it is also impractical, if even possible, to leave the museum and re-enter).

Environmental & Social

We could find no information around environmental sustainability. Moderate electricity consumption. Positive from a social perspective by helping spread culture and the arts.

Conclusion

The museum is without doubt one of the best cultural attractions in Nanjing but, despite its very large size and the richness of its collections, it lacks standout items and modern curation that could propel it among the top-tier museums in Asia.

Key positive

Extensive collections with a few high-quality pieces

Free admission

Key negative

Quite crowded in some sections

Not easy to register for foreigners

Suitability

Accessible. Children under 12-14yr old may not enjoy the content of the collections for very long

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

March 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Last admission is 1h before closing

av. transport time:0h 25m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Regulated hours

Monday -

Tuesday09:00 - 17:00

Wednesday09:00 - 17:00

Thursday09:00 - 17:00

Friday09:00 - 17:00

Saturday09:00 - 17:00

Sunday09:00 - 17:00

Pricing
Admission is free, but advanced booking is required
Free

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