Chengdu Museum, also known as the Chengdu Chinese Shadow Puppet Museum, is a public welfare institution affiliated with the Chengdu Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism. Established on September 15, 1958, the museum has evolved through several stages, including the Chengdu Local Chronicles Museum Preparatory Committee, the Chengdu Cultural Relics Management Office, the Chengdu Museum, and the Chengdu Museum Institute. In late 2015, the new Chengdu Museum was approved by the Chengdu Municipal Committee’s Establishment Office and officially opened to the public on September 15, 2016.
Located on the west side of Tianfu Square in the city center, the museum’s main building is divided into the South and North buildings. The South Building primarily serves as office and research areas, with an underground academic lecture hall (multi-functional hall). The North Building is mainly for exhibition purposes, with the ground floor housing the lobby, screening rooms, and special exhibition halls.
The first basement level is dedicated to the ‘Man and Nature’ thematic exhibition, the second and third floors showcase the ‘Flower-Laden Brocade Official City—Chengdu Historical and Cultural Display Ancient Chapter’, the fourth floor features the ‘Modern Chapter and Folklore Chapter’, and the fifth floor is dedicated to the ‘Chinese Shadow Puppet and Puppet Exhibition’, with a total exhibition area of nearly 20,000 square meters.
The museum’s collection totals nearly 200,000 pieces, forming a relatively complete sequence from the Neolithic Age to the Republic of China period. The types include bronze ware, gold and silver ware, portrait bricks, stone carvings, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, furniture, shadow puppets, puppets, Taoist temple paintings, masks, and wood carvings, which have formed a scale and system in both quantity and quality.
Since its opening, the Chengdu Museum has successively held a series of temporary and special exhibitions, such as ‘The Fleeting Nostalgia—Zhang Daqian’, ‘The Prosperous Emperor—Qianlong Emperor of Qing Dynasty Special Exhibition’, ‘Silk Road Spirit: Dunhuang Art Exhibition and Sichuan and Silk Road Cultural Relics Special Exhibition’, ‘Imperial Summer Palace—Russian Peterhof State Museum Cultural Relics Special Exhibition’, ‘French Modern and Contemporary Painting Art Exhibition and ‘Chen Xiang·Transformation’ Photography Exhibition’, ‘Echoes of Civilization—Ancient Treasures from Afghanistan’, and ‘The Road of Qin and Shu—Bronze Civilization Special Exhibition’, which have been well received by audiences.
Opening hours are as follows: January 1 to July 21, Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday 09:00-17:00; July 22 to August 31, Monday to Thursday, Sunday 08:30-19:00; July 22 to August 31, Friday to Saturday 08:30-20:30; January 1 to July 21, Monday closed; September 1 to September 28, Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday 09:00-17:00; October 8 to December 31, Tuesday to Thursday, Sunday 09:00-17:00; September 1 to September 28, Monday closed; October 8 to December 31, Monday closed; October 8 to December 31, Friday to Saturday 09:00-20:30; New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day 09:00-17:00; September 29 to October 7 09:00-19:00.
Preferential policies for the elderly: Seniors aged 65 and above with their ID card, free; non-national statutory holidays, seniors aged 60 to 65 with their ID card, free; during national statutory holidays, seniors aged 60 to 65 with their ID card, preferential. Active duty military personnel/veterans/martyr’s families: Active duty military personnel (officer’s certificate), veterans (preference certificate); martyr’s families, families of soldiers who died in the line of duty, and families of deceased soldiers with preference certificates, free.
Children: Children aged 6 and below with their ID card/household registration book, free; minors aged 6 to 18, full-time university undergraduates and below with valid documents, preferential. Fire rescue personnel: On-duty, retired, disabled fire rescue personnel, and fire rescue academy students with valid documents, free. Disabled persons: Disabled persons with valid documents, free, and those with level 1 and 2 disabilities can have one accompanying person enjoy free access.
Free service facilities: Parking lot: [Tianfu Square Underground Parking Lot] Reference price: 5 yuan for 2 hours, 2 yuan per hour after 2 hours; Address: Tianfu Square; Spaces: 500; Open 24 hours. Luggage storage: Available.
