Chengdu Museum opened its current building on Tianfu Square in 2016, in the middle of the city, with a collection of around two hundred thousand objects. It is the main museum of local history and, for visitors, the most efficient way to understand where Chengdu came from before going out to see the sites themselves.
The permanent galleries
The first section covers ancient Chengdu, from neolithic settlement through the Shu and Ba cultures to the bronze age, then the Qin and Han periods, when Chengdu was already a major city and a centre of silk and lacquer production. Later galleries move through the Tang and Song, when Chengdu was one of the largest cities in China and produced the world's first widely used paper money, and then through the Ming, Qing and twentieth century. Highlights include Han dynasty pictorial bricks and stone reliefs showing daily life - farming, salt production, music and banquets - and fine examples of Shu brocade and lacquerwork.
The puppet collection
The museum holds one of the largest collections of Chinese shadow puppets and rod puppets in the country, with tens of thousands of pieces including complete sets of carved leather figures and the stages they were performed on. The puppet gallery, when open, is colourful and unexpected, and it explains a performance tradition that is still alive in rural Sichuan.
Practical information
The museum is on the south side of Tianfu Square and is open Tuesday to Sunday, roughly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Mondays. Entry is free with a passport reservation made in advance; there is a security check at the entrance and large bags must be left. Temporary exhibitions charge separately and are worth checking, as the museum often hosts major touring shows.
Combining it
The museum sits on Metro Lines 1 and 2 at Tianfu Square, so it is easy to add to any day in the centre. Wenshu Monastery and the Wide and Narrow Alleys are both within a couple of metro stops, and a morning in the museum followed by an afternoon in the old streets is a well-balanced day.
