Nanjing Museum

The Nanjing Museum, at 321 Zhongshan East Road in Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, is one of the country's largest and oldest museums, founded in 1933 as the Central Museum. The main building, in the style of a Liao-dynasty imperial hall with a large tiled roof, stands beside the Ming Palace ruins, near Zhongshan Gate. The collection exceeds 400,000 items and spans prehistoric times to the modern era, with particular strength in Jiangnan regional material. Highlights include a Western Han jade burial suit sewn with silver thread, bronze ware, ceramics, Ming and Qing porcelain, textiles including Yunjin brocade, paintings and calligraphy. The museum is organised in several galleries: the Historical Gallery, the Art Gallery, the Digital Gallery, a Republic of China Gallery in a separate building modelled on a Republican-era street, and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall. Visitors typically spend three to four hours, and completing every gallery can take much of a day. Entry to the permanent collection is free, but a real-name reservation using a passport is required through the museum's WeChat mini-program, and special exhibitions may charge a separate fee. Booking one to seven days ahead is advised because of daily quotas. Crowds are heaviest at weekends, school holidays and during the summer, and arriving at opening on a weekday gives the calmest experience. The museum is closed on Mondays except on national holidays, with last entry at 4:30 PM. The nearest metro station is Minggugong on Line 2, a five-minute walk. Photography is generally allowed in galleries without flash, though some special exhibitions restrict it. There is a museum shop selling reproductions and a cafe on site. English labelling is provided for major exhibits, and audio guides are available for rental.