National Museum of China | Tour Guide, Book Tips ,Must-See Treasures at This Free Cultural Icon
This post summarizes our experience visiting the National Museum of China:
Queueing and booking at the museum entrance
Crowded areas
Observations from exploring each dynasty's exhibit on B1 and the Buddhist statues on the 4th floor
Jade artifacts on the 4th floor
This time, we only visited B1 and the 4th floor. Next time, if we manage to get a reservation again, we’ll make sure to explore the 2nd and 3rd floors as well.
The National Museum is located on the east side of Tiananmen Square, directly across from the Great Hall of the People. After visiting the museum, you can simply cross the road to Tiananmen Square, skipping the long security check line at Tiananmen. If it’s too late in the day, you can also head straight back to Exit D of the Tiananmen East subway station.
The museum closes at 5 PM, right around sunset. The warm, orange sunset light is especially beautiful at that hour. Many people choose to rest on the steps in front of the museum, enjoying the view while taking photos of the Great Hall of the People and the Monument to the People's Heroes across the square.
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I had long heard about the fame of the National Museum of China and also knew how difficult it was to get a reservation. So I took a weekday off, and successfully booked a ticket for the next day at 9 PM the night before. According to tips shared online, it’s very common not to get tickets a week in advance. However, each day at 5 PM, some tickets are released for the following day — during those few minutes, you’re likely to secure one.
This time, I booked a visit for the day before the Qingming Festival. The crowd wasn’t as large as on official holidays, but still quite sizeable. I reserved the 9:00–11:00 AM slot and entered at 10:58. On weekdays, you can generally enter within a half-hour grace period, but on weekends or holidays, rules are strictly enforced — you won’t be allowed in late, and even if you arrive early, you can't enter before your time slot ends at 11:00.
From Exit D of Tiananmen East Station, I took the crowded route on the left, walked backward, then turned left again in a full circle — you can guess where I ended up from the photo below.
Image 2 shows the ticket check area. Before this, there’s already been a security check. Image 3 shows how visitors are guided into the museum after ticket scanning.
Turning right and heading back from Exit D of Tiananmen East brings you to the security check area for Tiananmen Square. That’s where you line up to visit the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong and the square itself. But the crowd there is massive — even larger than at the museum.
Looking from the museum toward the Tiananmen Square security queue, the crowd was relatively sparse that day. In fact, once you walk to the right side of the photo, beyond the museum, you’ll find fewer people.
I went again on the first official day of Qingming Festival since I had booked a spot at Mao Zedong’s Mausoleum. But the line stretched all the way to Exit C of Tiananmen Station. I gave up and took the subway home from there.
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I only waited about 15 minutes to enter; the weekday crowd wasn’t too bad. The only truly crowded spots in the entire museum were:
The entrance to the B1 “Ancient China” permanent exhibition
The Shang and Zhou dynasty bronzeware section where the Simuwu Ding is located
The lavish “Phoenix Crown of Empress Xiaoduan” from the Ming and Qing period, near the end
These are also the most famous and valuable artifacts. The crown especially attracts a younger crowd lining up for photos. In my opinion, the most valuable section of the museum is the bronzeware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
"Ancient China" is the core exhibit of the National Museum. Even if you skip everything else, you must walk through the entire B1 floor. The best artifacts in most museums are often located on the basement level, because the underground is less affected by external climate changes and easier to maintain constant temperature and humidity (e.g., 20°C ±1, humidity 50% ±5). Moreover, UV light accelerates fading and aging of pigments and organic materials, so controlled artificial lighting (usually under 50 lux) is ideal in basement spaces.
The line for the Phoenix Crown was nearly as long as the entrance line outside. I bypassed the crowd, walked to the front, tiptoed, held my camera high, and snapped whatever I could — surprisingly, the photo turned out well, even capturing the crown’s dazzling jewels.
The museum's B1 tour route is designed chronologically — from BCE to CE — and visitors typically follow that path. There are exit points between several dynasties so people can leave midway if tired (many elderly visitors in wheelchairs were there too). However, this time I couldn’t find the mid-point stair exits. Once located, you can descend from the middle — for example, starting from the Tang Dynasty — to avoid crowded entry and exit areas.
There are plenty of seats around the Wei and Jin dynasty sections, ideal for resting. Beneath this replica of the Nine-Colored Deer mural, there are seats too.
Most people take the escalator down next to the staircase in the photo. There’s also a baggage storage nearby — the first hour is free, and afterward it costs 5 yuan per hour.
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Here are the pieces I personally found most interesting while exploring the Ancient China exhibition.
Pre-Qin
A painted pottery basin with a dancing pattern from the Majiayao culture of the Neolithic period, over 5000 years ago. It resembles ancient Greek pottery in shape, but with simpler, more rustic patterns. This was the first artifact I saw. Compared to the jade dragon, fewer people were taking photos of it.
The jade dragon from the Hongshan culture, known for its simple and primitive form, is considered the origin of dragon-shaped worship in China’s Central Plains.
After that came the Shang and Zhou bronze cauldron section — it was very crowded, nearly impossible to take photos. The most iconic piece is the Simuwu Ding, the largest cauldron, very solid and heavy. Just look at those legs — sturdy and reassuring. As I went through B1, I found that the most robust and weighty artifacts were from the Shang and Zhou periods. From the Han and Tang onward, with the emergence of ironware and ceramics, items became more delicate and refined — no longer bearing the ruggedness of a feudal society.
I waited a long time for a clear shot — the lighting was poor, the crowd dense, and it was tense. Still, this ding was worth capturing: incredibly heavy and solid, a true treasure of the museum.
It was discovered in 1939 by a villager named Wu Peiwen in Wuguan Village, Anyang, Henan. To prevent it from being looted by the Japanese army, Wu hid the cauldron and even used a replica to deceive the invaders. In 1946, it was found by the Nationalist government, originally intended as a birthday gift for Chiang Kai-shek and transported to Nanjing. During the Nationalists' retreat to Taiwan in 1949, it was abandoned at the Nanjing airport due to its weight and later recovered by the PLA. It was eventually transferred to Beijing in 1959 with the founding of the Chinese History Museum (now the National Museum), where it became a centerpiece.
The Simuwu Ding and other Shang dynasty bronze vessels were not only symbols of power but also central tools in spiritual rituals. The taotie motifs are believed to have exorcistic and supernatural communication powers.
Two other famous dings are round and smaller in size.
Also in this section is the Four-goat Square Zun. Unfortunately, it was shattered into over 20 pieces during Japanese bombings in wartime and later restored. Because of this, it lacks the raw historical weight of the other dings and looks a bit too "new."
In the Late Western Zhou section, the centerpiece is the Guo Ji Zi Bai Pan, another national treasure. It features a 111-character inscription in four-character rhyme, chronicling feats in battle and royal rewards. As a vessel of the "Ritual and Music" system, it reflects the Western Zhou nobility’s tradition of commemorating achievements and the function of bronze vessels as power symbols.
It was unearthed around 1840 in Guochuan Si (now Chencang District), Baoji, Shaanxi. Initially used as a horse trough by a local farmer (when we first saw it, we mistook it for a giant washbasin — it's enormous for a dish), it was later bought by the magistrate Xu Xiejun for "a hundred gold pieces" and taken back to his hometown in Changzhou, Jiangsu. It later ended up in the hands of Taiping Rebellion prince Chen Kunshu. In 1864, Huai Army general Liu Mingchuan seized it when capturing the prince’s residence and took it to Liu Laowei in Feixi, Anhui, where he built a pavilion to secretly store it. During the late Qing and Republican periods, warlords and Japanese forces attempted to seize it, but the Liu family buried it and even used replicas to mislead outsiders. It survived multiple wars. After Hefei’s liberation in 1949, Liu Mingchuan’s great-grandson Liu Su offered it to the country, and it was transferred to the Chinese History Museum (now the National Museum) in 1950.
The Guo Ji Zi Bai Pan shows the evolution from the Shang dynasty’s taotie motif to the more abstract qiequ pattern of the Late Western Zhou. The simple, abstract design on the side of the plate is an example of qiequ, which became increasingly abstract and fluid during the Warring States period. In contrast, the Shang style favored angular animal totems like taotie and birds.
The plaques from the Shang and Zhou periods, seen in the 4th-floor jade exhibition, also have a strong shamanistic and animistic flavor from the Shang dynasty. By the Zhou dynasty, the focus shifted to ritual and music, reducing the emphasis on mysticism. Bronze ware became more of a symbol of social hierarchy.
This bronze gallery also includes artifacts from Sanxingdui, which are quite different from the Shang and Zhou bronze pieces of the Central Plains. The wide figure on the left is thought to represent a “human,” while the slender one on the right represents a “deity.”
Qin and Han Dynasties
The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods continued the ritual and music system, with bronze chime bells. Due to frequent wars, many bronze swords have also been unearthed.
During the Warring States period, military systems rose in importance, and militarism was promoted, leading to the famous Terracotta Warriors of the Qin and Han Dynasties. The National Museum made a good choice—these Terracotta Warriors are the ones you’d find in history textbooks, truly representative.
The Han Dynasty’s small-scale peasant economy: two people farming, one plot used for fertilization, the other with snails, ducks, frogs, and a boat—shaped like a cookie mold. Starting from the Han, such crafts focused more on daily life, with the emergence of silk and bead strings, unlike the monarch-focused artifacts of the Shang, Zhou, and Qin. They also became more delicate and refined.
A carriage used by ordinary Han people.
A fortress of a powerful landowner from the Eastern Han.
By the Wei and Jin periods, there was a rise in Taoist and Buddhist practices. Many soul jars appeared as metaphysical ideas gained traction—people sought to escape wartime chaos through spiritual ascension. Tao Yuanming’s Peach Blossom Spring was written in this context of societal unrest.
Sacrificial rituals reappeared on various shell-storage vessels unearthed in Yunnan during the Han Dynasty, including human sacrifices. The most famous is the shell container depicting a curse-swearing scene.
The ancient Dian Kingdom was located on the Yunnan Plateau, far from the ocean. Cowries, as rare items, served as currency and symbols of wealth. The shell-storage vessel was used by nobles to store large quantities of cowry money.
If you look closely, each figure and scene is detailed: a bustling, chaotic marketplace with people doing business—vendors with baskets on their heads, fish sellers, customers, and onlookers. A vivid picture of everyday urban life.
There are people leading horses, about to slaughter livestock, naked criminals awaiting punishment, women carrying goods. At the center of a stilt-style building sits a main officiant with dangling legs, large-bodied and fully gilded—possibly a Dian king or leader. He is surrounded by 16 bronze drums, symbolizing both secular and divine authority.
In the Wei and Jin periods, both men and women started wearing pants—today’s wide-legged trousers! The tailoring is quite nice.
Sui and Tang Dynasties
By this point, most visitors are already exhausted—many don’t make it past the Wei and Jin sections.
The only Sui artifact is this stone-carved flood dragon from Zhaozhou Bridge. In folk art, dragons have three claws; only imperial depictions use five claws—like in Beihai Park that I wrote about earlier.
We mainly visited the Tang Dynasty section—after all, Tang was the peak of ancient Chinese civilization, with emissaries from all over, cultural brilliance, a thriving economy, music, poetry, and improved status for women.
For the first time, we see women riding horses in skirts and veils. Plumpness was considered beautiful, indicating prosperity. In wealthy societies, women’s status tends to be higher, and there’s more tolerance for foreign cultures—life is easy, and people don’t fuss over trivial matters. Nowadays, the mainstream ideal favors slim influencer-style figures, reflecting economic anxiety.
This replica of Wu Zetian’s painting captures fluid movement—a dynamic quality lost in the Ming and Qing. After the Tang, art became rigid—even though the Qing seemed prosperous, it was all jewels and imperial robes.
Tang Sancai ceramics are colorful. Art from the time includes camels and curly-haired “Hu people,” as the Silk Road was flourishing, highlighting cultural exchange and openness.
The one on the left is a Tang Sancai piece and one of the National Museum’s most iconic artifacts—many people are already familiar with it.
Besides camels, Tang Sancai also features many foreign horses. Western horses (like Turkic ones) were characterized by small heads, round hindquarters, long legs, and strong builds. Their lowered posture highlighted muscular necks and elegant proportions, symbolizing gentleness and obedience (e.g., imperial-trained horses).
The Tang elite favored extravagant burials. Tomb guardian beasts were made of kaolin clay with tri-color glaze. The Buddhist guardian king was localized and replaced early warrior figurines as grave guardians—dressed in armor, both intimidating and divine.
Tang people believed in the immortality of the soul. Grave guardians were meant to ward off evil and protect the spirit. This belief, combined with Confucian filial piety, made grand burials an expression of devotion.
After the An Lushan Rebellion (755 AD), the Tang declined. Extravagant burials waned, and guardian figures were simplified or vanished. In late Tang, fengshui-based funeral ideas emerged, using iron oxen or pigs instead.
Zhong Kui the Demon Queller was also a Tang figure. The Tang blended Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism into a uniquely Chinese synthesis.
Comparing ceramics from the Western Zhou and Tang reveals the Tang’s advancements: more refined craftsmanship, smoother texture, and richer color—all signs of societal progress.
Tang and Song Buddhist statues are also very beautiful—with rich colors and a preference for a fuller, more affluent aesthetic that provides a calming presence. These statues are in the 4th-floor Ancient Chinese Buddhist Sculpture exhibition.
Among them, the most famous on the 14th floor is this painted wooden Guanyin from the Song Dynasty, placed at the center of the exhibit.
Tang and Song societies emphasized human value—the statues look like real people.
Some of the painted lacquer has faded.
Exhibits from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing are limited, since other museums in Beijing already cover Ming and Qing artifacts. So we passed through these sections quickly.
I only took one photo showing people in phoenix crowns and raw silk—both materials shine with natural luster.
Silk has always been favored in Chinese clothing history—being locally produced in Jiangnan. Cashmere, by contrast, comes from Tibet, Inner, and Outer Mongolia, areas of ethnic minorities.
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A brief overview of the jade artifacts on the 4th floor — I find them more beautiful than the ceramics. There's also a Chinese clothing exhibition and a science and technology exhibition on this floor, but I thought they were just average. If you like jade and stones, you might also enjoy the Geological Museum of China — many of the stones here are labeled as being from there.
Saw the frog in amber from our childhood Chinese textbook.
Malachite resembling green coral reefs.
Jade incense burners and a crystal-capped bottle.
Various jade ornaments. The highest quality jade I saw was actually on B1 in the Tang Dynasty section — there was a tiny wine cup made of Hetian jade and gold. You could instantly tell how fine the jade was.
In ancient times, these jades were often used for belt hooks and sword decorations.
Epilogue
Visiting the Ancient China permanent exhibition on B1 felt like a history review session. I noticed that the most abundant exhibits in the National Museum are from the Shang, Zhou, and Qin bronze ages, as well as the Tang Dynasty — many of the museum’s crown jewels are bronze artifacts from the Shang and Zhou periods.
After leaving the museum, I took a walk around Tiananmen Square, then entered the subway via the underground passage.
I've published a YouTube Video for this National Museum of China tour
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