Museums and galleries in Chengdu
60 museums and galleries in Chengdu, from the big collections to small independent spaces.
Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 60.
Museums and galleries in Chengdu
SeePerson museumDu Fu's Thatched Cottage
杜甫草堂; dù fǔ cǎo táng
Du Fu was a renowned poet during the Tang Dynasty. The thatched cottage was where he lived from 760 to 765 and wrote many of his best works. The cottage eventually fell into ruin and had to be rebuilt. The current buildings date mostly from the Ming and Qing dynasties.
May to September: 08:00-20:00, October to April: 08:00-18:30¥60
SeeSanxingdui
三星堆
The ruins of an ancient Chinese city where archaeologists discovered remarkable artifacts that radiocarbon dated circa 12th-11th centuries BCE. Sanxingdui (Three star mound) is the name given to this previously unknown Bronze Age culture. First excavated in the 1930s, the site continues to yield surprises to the present day. Between 2020 and 2022, archaeologists working on the site discovered six sacrificial pits containing a treasure trove of artefacts. So numerous were the artefacts that a new museum had to be constructed. The new museum is now open. Be warned that the museum is extremely popular and often booked out, so it's best not to come here without first making a booking. Bookings can be done online (in Chinese only) on the museum's WeChat account. If you come here on an empty stomach, you should get something to eat at one of the food stalls outside the gate. The museum cafe does not serve food. After entering the gate, you can head straight to the new museum, as the two exhibition halls that made up the old museum have been closed. However, if you have time, you can still visit the Restoration Hall (修复馆) and see the archaeologists working to restore the artefacts. The restoration hall closes at 17:00, which is one hour earlier than the museum.
08:30-18:00, no entry after 17:00¥72 (¥36 for students)
SeeArchaeological siteJinsha Archaeological Site
金沙遗址; jīn shā yí zhǐ
Site featuring various tools and art pieces from around 3,000 years ago. The amount of unearthed items is just massive. They include pottery, blades, jade items, building foundations and various golden art pieces. There are two main buildings: the hall constructed over the centre of the excavation site and the modern exhibition hall with various artifacts on display.
May to October: 08:30-20:00, November to April: 08:30-18:30, no tickets sold in last 60 minutes, closed on Mondaysadults¥66children¥35 · Heritage listed
SeeArchaeological museumChengdu Museum
成都博物馆, chéng dū bó wù guǎn
A 6 floors museum containing different interesting things about Chengdu civilization from ancient times to modern times. Recommended to start the visit from the second floor upwards. The visit should take 2.5 hours.
May to October: 09:00-20:30, November to April: 09:00-20:00, no entry in last 30 minutes, closed on MondaysFree, Foreigner needs to register from the opposite side of the entrance to get ticket
SeeArchaeological museumSichuan Museum
四川博物院 (sì chuān bó wù yuàn)
3 floors museum containing artifacts (bronze, pottery, carving, etc.), including coverage of different tribes in Sichuan. Visit can be completed in about 2 hours.
Summer: 09:00-21:00, winter: 09:00-20:00, no entry in last 30 minutes, closed on MondaysFree, foreigners must go through the 'Foreigner' entrance and register
SeeHistory museumWuhouci Temple
Wuhou Temple, 武侯祠; wǔ hóu cí
This temple is built to commemorate Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), who was the minister of Shu (蜀) in the Three Kingdoms Period. He is famous through the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. There are dozens of dust covered statues of obscure historical figures behind glass and not much else. The gardens are attractive, but not extensive.
May to October: 08:00-20:00, November to April: 08:00-19:00, no tickets sold in last 60 minutes¥60 · Heritage listed · Built 1672
SeeChengdu Panda Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
成都大熊猫繁育研究基地; chéng dū dà xióng māo fán yù yán jiū jī dì
This is the biggest facility of this kind in the world. Due to habitat destruction and other reasons, the giant panda is maybe the most famous endangered animal. It is home to some 60 giant pandas, but also has some red pandas and a colony of black-necked cranes. The pandas are basically on display for tourists but views are much closer than is possible at most Western zoos. (If you want to get even closer and hold a panda or volunteer all day to feed them bamboo and clean the panda cage, visit the Dujiangyan Panda Base, about an hour's drive outside Chengdu.) A small museum and a cinema screening related documentaries is also available. A restaurant and souvenir-stalls top off the tourist installations. The best time to visit is in the morning, when pandas are most active. Pandas sleep during the hottest time of the day. Feeding time is around 09:30-10:00. Expect some crowd. It is recommended to arrive as early as you can to avoid the hordes of school and tour groups that arrive every morning.
730-1700Entry fee is ¥55.English-speaking tour guide ¥100
SeeScience museumSichuan Science and Technology Museum
四川科技馆 (sì chuān kē jì guǎn)
This huge four-storey museum is filled with interactive exhibits about science, aerodynamics, space, mathematics, robotics and physics. Children will love the interactive displays and indoor playground on the 4th floor. Adults will appreciate the descriptions in both English and Chinese. Everyone will love the crowd-pleasers like the robotic orchestra and walk-through maps of Sichuan's waterways. During weekdays this museum can either be overrun by local school groups or be so deserted it's almost creepy. Overall, quite good value for money, especially on a rainy day.
09:00-17:00, closed on Mondays (except during the summer holiday period)Free
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Shuijingfang Museum
水井坊博物馆
Shuijingfang is a liquor company that specializes in the production of high-quality baijiu (distilled rice wine). The company has been operating continuously in Chengdu for over 600 years, albeit under many different names. Around the turn of the last century, archaeologists uncovered the remains of the original distillery that was in use 600 years ago. As the oldest distillery site yet discovered in China, the site was declared a national heritage site and nominated for world heritage status. The site is now part of the Shujingfang Museum. Entrance to the museum's exhibition hall is free but you will need to pay for a tour guide if you wish to visit the archaeological site. English guides are ¥100 and Mandarin guides are ¥40. After visiting the exhibition hall and archaeological site, the tour guide will lead you to a modern distillery, which may or may not be operating at the time of your visit. The final stop on the tour is a tasting room where you can sample some of the baijiu produced here. Of course, there is also a shop where you can buy bottles of baijiu.
09:00-17:30, no entry after 17:00
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Yongling Mausoleum
永陵, 王建墓; yǒng líng, wáng jiàn mù / Wang Jian's Tomb
Yongling is the tomb of Wang Jian, the founding emperor of the Shu Kingdom, also known as Great Shu or Former Shu, which ruled over much of Sichuan during the early 10th century during a period known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. The burial chamber has been excavated and is open to the public. An on-site museum displays artefacts that have been excavated from the tomb.
Tomb and museum: 08:30-18:00, Gardens: 06:30-22:00¥20
SeeLuodai Ancient Town
洛带古镇
The town is especially famous for the national key cultural relic protection unit - the Four Conference Halls (Guangdong Hall, Jiangxi Hall, Huguang Hall, Sichuan North Hall) and the Hakka Museum and Hakka Park. It is one of the wonders in China's ancient architecture "Daguan Garden", with a total area of more than 20,000 square meters. Luodai Hall is a condensed history of Hakka immigration.
Entrance: free
- SeeArt gallery
Sichuan Art Museum
四川美术馆 (sì chuān měi shù guǎn)
Sichuan Art Museum is a major contemporary art institution located in the heart of Chengdu’s Qingyang District near Tianfu Square in Sichuan Province, China. The museum’s modern building rises six stories and houses a large collection of Chinese paintings, prints, and artworks, including traditional and modern pieces. It also serves as the headquarters of the Sichuan Artists Association and is part of Chengdu’s vibrant cultural zone alongside other museums and galleries.
09ː00-20ː00, no entry after 19ː00, closed on MondaysFree · Free entry
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A Thousand Plateaus Art Space
千高原艺术空间; Qian Gaoyuan Yishu Kongjian
A contemporary art gallery in Chengdu exhibiting Chinese and international artists. Exhibit openings generally happen once a month, and other events also take place.
Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00Free entry
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Chengdu Natural History Museum
成都自然博物馆
One of the largest natural history museums in western China. The museum has around 70,000 items, of which around 10,000 are on display, including many fossils. As of November, visitor numbers are limited to 5000 people per day and bookings are essential. Bookings can be made on the museum's public WeChat account. The WeChat account name is "成都自然博物馆 成都理工博物馆".
09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on Mondays¥20
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Jianchuan Museum Cluster
建川博物馆聚落
Industrialist Fan Jianchuan built this campus of museums to explain the history of 20th century China. This is the first privately owned museum in Sichuan (privately operated museums in China have only been permitted since the year 2001). The Museum campus contains four buildings about World War II in China - one explaining the Communist Party role, one about the Kuomintang, one about the American volunteer group "Flying Tigers", and one about Sichuan volunteers. There is also the modestly named "New China Porcelain Museum", which actually tells the story of the Cultural Revolution through porcelain of that era. A museum that more directly addresses that era is under construction. You will also see buildings explaining the practice of foot-binding and one about prisoners of war. Nearby, you can also walk through a landlord's manor. Make a day trip out of it; the Museum is in the historic town of Anren about an hour's drive from downtown Chengdu. Get around the museum cluster by walking, renting a bicycle or paying ¥10 to ride the sightseeing car; a tea-house and restaurant is located on site.
Closed · opens 9 am¥60 for a one-day pass to visit all museums, ¥100 for a three-day pass, ¥20 to visit just one museum
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Sichuan University Museum
四川大学博物馆; Sichuan Daxue Bowuguan
Excellent display of local artifacts and is worth while way of spending an hour or two. The museum is one of the better in China and there are four floors of well lit, air conditioned displays with decent English translations. Starting in the basement, enter the first room where dozens of stone carvings dating from the Han dynasty to the Tang are on display. The room next door has a moderately interesting display on the museum's history and numerous examples of ancient bronzes and stone age artifacts. The first floor is mostly artifacts from the Ming and Qing dynasty, including furniture, silk clothing, and an interesting display of leather puppets. The second floor has the perhaps the most engaging display: artifacts and daily use items from ethnic minority groups in China's southwest, including Tibetans, Miao, Yi, Qiang, Jianpo and Naxi. The third floor has a decent display of calligraphy scrolls, paintings, and ceramics.
09:00-17:00, no entry after 16:30, closed on weekends¥30 (students ¥10)
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Southwest Minzu University Museum of Nationalities
西南民族大学民族博物馆
This was one of the first ethnographic museums to be established in China following the founding of the People's Republic. It has one of the richest collections of ethnic minority artefacts in southwestern China. There are artefacts from 35 different ethnic groups and specialized exhibitions on the Tibetans, the Qiang, the Miao, the Yi, the Bai, the Tujia, the Dai and the Naxi.
Open to the general public every Tue from 13:30 to 16:30; visitors wishing to visit on a different day or time are required to make a bookingFree
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Chengdu Art Museum
This major cultural landmark in the heart of Chengdu opened in 2021. It serves as a vibrant hub for contemporary art and cultural exchange in western China. The museum features modern architectural design and spacious exhibition halls that host a wide range of national and international art exhibitions. Through its diverse programs—including exhibitions, workshops, and public lectures—the Chengdu Art Museum aims to promote creativity, cultural dialogue, and appreciation for the arts among the public.
May–Oct: Tue–Sun 10:00-21:30 (last entry 21:00); Nov–Apr: Tue–Sun 10:00-20:00 (last entry 19:30) Closed on MondaysIt's free but need to make an appointment.
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Anren Ancient Town
安仁古镇; ān rén gǔ zhèn
Also called China's Museum Town (中国博物馆小镇) due to the large number of museums, including the Jianchuan Museum Cluster (see below).The entire scenic area west to Liu Xiang riding statue, east to the Convention and Exhibition Road, north to the road around the town, south to the Xiejiang River, the core scenic area of 3 square kilometers, including the old street of the Gongguan, Liu's Manor Museum, Jianchuan Museum, three core resources. Anren Ancient Town is 39 kilometers away from Chengdu downtown, 36 kilometers away from Shuangliu International Airport, 10 kilometers away from Dayi Station of Chengya High-speed Railway, 8 kilometers away from Dayi South Exit of Chengya High-speed Railway, and 8.5 kilometers away from Dayi County.
Free (Tickets are required for the museums)
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Museum of Sichuan Cuisine
川菜博物馆
8 Ronghua Lane North, Gucheng Town, Pidu District (郫都区古城镇荣华北巷8号)
Closed · opens 9 am¥60 for general admission, ¥360 to take part in a cooking experience
SeeHistoric siteJinsha Site Museum
- SeeMuseum
神州版画博物馆
人民西路20号
- SeeArt museum
A4 Art Museum
Art Exhibition Center, Luxelakes, Tianfu New Area
- SeeMuseum
四川博物院
浣花南路251号
- SeeMuseum
Chengdu Museum Coffee House
6F, Chengdu Museum
- SeeMuseum
Chengdu Yongling Museum
10号 永陵路
Closed · opens 8:30 am
- SeeMuseum
Shu Brocade and Embroidery Museum
2号 草堂东路
Closed · opens 9 am
- SeeMuseum
Chengdu International Sister Cities Exhibition
- SeeMuseum
Chengdu Twelve Monthly Fairs Museum
- SeeMuseum
General Hall
- SeeArt gallery
Sichuan Shishu Art Academy
10号 百花潭路
- SeeMuseum
Sichuan newspaper museum
- SeeArt gallery
Wuhou Temple Art Museum
- SeeMuseum
三和老爷车博物馆
- SeeMuseum
华西口腔健康教育博物馆
- SeeArt gallery
四川中国书画美术馆
- SeeArt gallery
四川当代美术馆
- SeeMuseum
四川省防灾减灾教育馆
- SeeArt gallery
四川福宝美术馆
- SeeArt gallery
域上和美艺术馆
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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Chengdu (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps.