Start with the History Gallery for a timeline
Nanjing Museum is at 321 Zhongshan East Road. Its exhibitions cover Jiangsu's history, art and everyday culture across the History, Special Exhibition, Art, Digital, Intangible Cultural Heritage and Republican-era galleries. If you are new to Nanjing and Jiangsu, make the History Gallery your main focus, then add others according to your interests. Trying to visit every gallery simply because of its name can use up your time without allowing a close look at a group of objects.
The History Gallery's permanent exhibition follows a chronology through themes such as “Impressions of Remote Antiquity”, “Prehistoric Splendour; Wu and Yue in the Spring and Autumn Period”, “Flourishing Commanderies and Kingdoms; Homeland of the Han”, and “Rise of the Six Dynasties; Splendour of the Sui and Tang”. It places Nanjing within the longer history of Jiangsu and the lower Yangtze. When looking at ritual and musical objects, pottery figures or everyday utensils, first ask which period they belong to and how they were originally used, then examine their shapes and decoration. This connects individual objects with social life.
Choose by objects and personal interests
The collections offer more than impressive size. The official collection pages describe a Warring States bronze hu vessel with gold and silver inlay, standing birds and geometric patterns, with bird and animal decoration on its lid knob, handles and feet, as well as silver inlay and turquoise. A Han-dynasty bronze ox lamp with silver inlay invites examination of its construction and the colours of different metals. These suggest two ways of looking: how decoration is arranged and how an object works. Collection pages describe holdings; whether a particular object is on display must be checked on site.
If human and animal figures interest you, take time with the poses, clothing and grouping of pottery figurines in the relevant displays. If you prefer painting, calligraphy or crafts, leave the remaining time for the Art or Special Exhibition Gallery. The six galleries are not six tasks to complete. Allow half a day for a first visit. With only about two hours, focusing on one or two periods in the History Gallery is more manageable than moving between several galleries. This is an estimated allowance for reading labels, walking and pausing.
Reservations and verification for foreign visitors
As of 11 November 2026, all visitors require a real-name reservation through Nanjing Museum's official WeChat mini-program. Slots are released daily at 18:00 for visits seven days ahead, excluding the current day, with morning and afternoon sessions. Foreign passport holders must reserve first, then bring their original passport and proof of a successful reservation to the green-channel service window for manual verification. Another person's booking code or a passport photograph is not a substitute. For reservation enquiries, call 025-84807923.
Regular opening hours are Tuesday–Sunday, 09:00–17:00, with ticket checks ending at 16:00. The museum closes on Mondays; check official notices for public holidays and winter and summer holiday arrangements. Each identity document permits only one entry and exit per day. Morning-session visitors must enter before 13:00; consider these restrictions if planning to eat outside. Take Metro Line 2 or 6 to Minggugong station and walk about 300 metres east from Exit 1. Check your reservation session and the latest notices before deciding how much to visit.
Useful official references
Check the relevant official service before making arrangements. These links are references, not a guarantee of current services.
