Housed in a Beautiful building is a huge collection of artifacts - bronzes, porcelain, paintings, calligraphy etc. as well as every day objects and relics dating from the ancient Shang and Xia dynasties right up to the recent days of the PRC. Also of particular interest are sections devoted to demonstrating tiny details about Chinese, particularly Beijing, culture.. such as the meanings of all the different doors and archways, the animals carved into the eaves of roofs, and indeed how those eaves are made. My favourite section is the art and calligraphy which is inside the enormous spiral section of the museum.

Everything is laid out very clearly and there are english translations on the information cards. There is also a very good bookshop on the basement level. It’s easy to get to (walk west from fuxingmen subway or take a taxi to MuXiDi) and I think it may be free entrance these days… or if not then the ticket prices are very cheap.