A Museum Journey Through Beijing

Twenty years later, I revisited Beijing. Wandering within the imperial city stirred up endless memories—from the timeless hutongs of Nanluoguxiang to modern landmarks like the Bird’s Nest. Beijing has the most World Heritage sites of any city: the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, and more. I had visited all of them many times before, so this trip back to the capital was all about the museums.

As the capital, Beijing’s long history and rich cultural resources are the foundation for the city’s thriving museum scene. From the preparatory office of the National History Museum in 1912 to the present day, Beijing’s museums have developed for over a century. With the city evolving rapidly, the number of museums in the Beijing area grows each year. There are now nearly 200 large and small museums, including 14 national first-class museums, 6 national second-class museums, and 8 national third-class museums.

The Ming City Wall Ruins preserve one of the best-preserved sections of Beijing’s Ming Dynasty city wall, stretching about 1.5 kilometers.

The western side shows the unrepaired wall, where the yellow earth of the rammed-earth foundation is exposed, giving it a primitive, ancient feel.

On the eastern section, you can see flagstone bases, ancient cannons, and other Ming Dynasty relics, as well as carvings left by the Eight-Nation Alliance troops when they invaded Beijing—all of great historical value. Inside the Southeast Corner Tower, there are exhibitions with old cannons, photographs of city towers, and more.

The Yuan Dynasty Capital City Wall Ruins Park is built on the ruins of the earthen wall of Dadu, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. Kublai Khan founded the Yuan Dynasty and took 18 years to build Dadu. The city wall stretched over 28,000 meters, constructed of rammed earth. The northernmost part of the wall was left outside when the northern wall was moved south in the early Ming Dynasty, and is commonly called the “Earth Wall.”

The construction of Dadu, chosen at the northeastern outskirts of the former Jin Dynasty central capital, laid the foundation for today’s Beijing. Its planning and design inherited the traditions of successive Chinese imperial capitals.

The National Museum of China is a comprehensive museum that integrates collection, exhibition, research, archaeology, public education, and cultural exchange. It is the nation’s highest hall of history, culture, and art.

The museum is enormous. The main permanent exhibitions include Ancient China, Ancient Jade, Ancient Porcelain, Ancient Costume, and Ancient Buddhist Statues, as well as special exhibitions. My visit focused mainly on “Ancient China.”

Ancient China is divided into eight sections: the fossil remains of Peking Man and totems from the Stone Age; exquisite bronzes, jades, and pottery from the Shang and Zhou dynasties; the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States period; the might and civilization of the Qin and Han dynasties; the turmoil of the Three Kingdoms, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties; the glory of the Sui and Tang; the gradual decline of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing; the exhibition unfolds like a long scroll of history, recording the birth, development, prosperity, and decline of Chinese civilization.

From remote antiquity to the end of the Qing Dynasty, you can admire many renowned treasures that have thundered through textbook descriptions. The following shots capture some of the precious exhibits as keepsakes.

The Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution showcases the development and achievements of China’s armed forces across different eras—from ancient cold weapons to modern high-tech weaponry, from heroic struggles in war to peacetime national defense. Whether you are a military enthusiast or simply want to learn about Chinese history and culture, you will find exhibits that fascinate you.

The Beijing Confucius Temple and Imperial College Museum is formed by these two historic building complexes. Constructed in the 14th century, they follow the ancient “left temple, right school” layout. The temple was the highest national academy and the place where emperors offered sacrifices to Confucius. Both complexes employ the traditional Chinese architectural style of central-axis symmetry, forming a complete ancient architectural ensemble.

The Confucius Temple was first built in the Yuan Dynasty and served as the site for sacrifices to Confucius throughout the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. It houses rare examples of Yuan-style ancient architecture that are uncommon in Beijing.

Here you will find the name tablets recording over 50,000 jinshi (advanced scholars) from the Yuan to the late Qing, as well as a forest of steles carved with the full text of the Thirteen Confucian Classics—immensely rich and precious.

The courtyards are antique and elegant, full of towering old trees. There are also memorial tablets for Confucius and exhibitions of cultural relics to explore one by one.

The Imperial College was the highest national seat of learning during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and it was also where emperors personally gave lectures. Walking among its red walls, green tiles, and pavilions, you can feel the strong ancient atmosphere of reverence for Confucianism and education.

Like the Confucius Temple, the buildings here are steeped in history, with towering ancient trees lending a quaint beauty. Jixian Gate, Taixue Gate, and the glazed archway are particularly distinctive—especially the vividly colored glazed archway, which is the landmark of the college.

Today, although the Imperial College no longer serves its educational purpose, the surrounding area still exudes a deep literary and scholarly ambiance.

Prince Gong’s Mansion is a vast princely residence from the Qing Dynasty, named after Prince Gong Yixin. It had previously been the home of Heshen and Prince Qing Yonglin. Having witnessed the entire trajectory of the Qing Dynasty from prosperity to decline, it is often said that “one Prince Gong’s Mansion is half the history of the Qing.”

It is one of the most completely preserved princely complexes in China, with over 30 building clusters, magnificently laid out. The whole property is divided into two sections: the residence in the front (south) and the garden in the back (north).

A motif of the Chinese character “Fortune” (福) runs throughout the garden, giving it a clear theme. The Western-style gate, the imperial calligraphy “Fortune” stele, and the indoor grand opera house are known as the “three treasures” of Prince Gong’s Mansion.

The garden, located north of the residence and also called Cuijin Garden, covers over 28,000 square meters and contains 31 ancient structures. Prince Gong assembled over a hundred master craftsmen to build it, and upon completion, its splendor was unmatched among the hundred princely mansions in the capital. It is the finest example of Qing imperial garden art surviving in Beijing.

The Beijing Olympic Museum is a permanent thematic museum dedicated to the Beijing Olympic Games. Its collection numbers 2,577 items/sets.

Apart from the Summer Olympics chapter, the museum also includes exhibits from the Winter Olympics, together showcasing Beijing’s status as a “dual Olympic city.”

The Beijing Olympic Museum has officially joined the International Olympic Museums Network as a permanent thematic museum of the Beijing Olympics, becoming the network’s 33rd member.

A Glimpse of Beijing’s Lanes and Hutongs

Museums are a vital part of cultural tourism; they embody the memory of a city’s change and transformation. As cities evolve rapidly, museums in every region increase year by year, becoming more specialized, distinctive, professional, and international. Museums have now become must-visit destinations for many travelers. Visiting the museums when you arrive in a city, seeking out historical memories, and truly understanding the historical knowledge you once only vaguely knew—this is indeed a wonderful thing.