National Art Museum of Beijing

National Art Museum of Beijing

The National Art Museum of China is one of the largest art museums in China, and is funded by the Ministry of Culture. At present, the National Art Museum of China owns over 100,000 artworks of various types.

English Name: National Art Museum of China in Beijing
Chinese Name: 中国美术馆
Attraction Type:  Beijing Attraction, Museum, Art
Best Time to Visit: Whole year
Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours
Admission Fee: Free
Address in English:  No.1, Wusi Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Address in Chinese:北京市东城区五四大街1号

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Why is the National Art Museum in Beijing so Special?

The National Art Museum of China is one of the largest art museums in China, and is funded by the Ministry of Culture. At present, the National Art Museum of China owns over 100,000 artworks of various types. The main collections were created around 1949. Works created at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Qing Dynasty (1683-1840) and the early period of the Republic of China (1912-1949) are also significant features among the collections.

Where is the National Art Museum in Beijing?

The National Art Museum of China is located at 1 Wusi Ave, Dongcheng District, Beijing.

How to Get There

  • Take Subway Line 5 or Line 6 and get off at Dongsi Station. Get out from Exit E and walk west for about five minutes.
  • Take bus 103 or 111 and get off at Meishuguan (Art Museum) Station.
  • Take bus 104, 108, or Special Line 11 and get off at Meishuguan Bei Station.
  • Take bus 60, 82, or 112 and get off at Shatan Lukou Bei Station.

History

Founded by Mao Zedong from 1958 to 1962, the National Art Museum is used for the collection, research and display of Chinese art.
This is one of the top ten buildings to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the people’s Republic of China. After more than a year of decoration, it was reopened on July 23, 2003. The museum can be divided into three levels: top, middle and bottom. The museum often holds various domestic and foreign famous works art exhibitions.

Features

The National Art Museum of China is divided into 17 basic exhibition halls. In each of the five floors, diverse works of art display aesthetic brilliance. It houses over 100,000 works of art. In addition to the many national works of art, the museum is home to over a thousand foreign works in its permanent collection.

Collection

Its permanent collection includes both ancient and contemporary Chinese artworks as well as notable Western artworks. Although the museum contains collections of imperial Chinese art, its main mission is to serve as a national level art museum dedicated to displaying, collecting and researching the modern and contemporary artworks of China. It has a main building of four stories, the first three being display areas. There are 21 exhibition halls at the museum.

Its collections are divided into specific categories of traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, print, sculpture, Chinese New Year picture, traditional picture story, caricature, watercolor painting, lacquer, porcelain, and costumes.

Useful Travel Tips

  • Admission Fee: Free, but visitors need to get a ticket by showing an identification card or passport. 4,000 tickets are issued at the door from 09:00-16:00 and 2,000 online per day.
  • Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00, last entry at 16:00; closed on Monday except for holidays.

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