The museum opened in 2005 opposite the People's Great Hall and was built around the largest archaeological rescue operation in Chinese history. Before the Three Gorges reservoir was filled, hundreds of sites along the river were excavated under time pressure, and a large part of what was recovered came to this collection.
The collections
The displays cover several areas. The Three Gorges section presents the geology of the gorges, the ancient cultures of the region including the Ba people, and objects recovered from sites now under water. A separate gallery covers the city of Chongqing through the twentieth century, including its period as the wartime capital during the 1930s and 1940s. There are also important collections of bronze, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, coins, and folk material from the ethnic minorities of the region.
Why it is worth the time
Chongqing is often visited for its food and its skyline, and the region's history gets skipped. This museum fixes that in about two hours, with good English labeling on the main exhibits. The Ba culture material and the wartime capital section are the two parts most visitors find unexpected.
Practical notes
The museum is on People's Square in the Yuzhong district, directly opposite the People's Great Hall, and is served by metro. Entry is free with a passport at the desk, and it is closed on Mondays in most periods; check locally. Allow two to three hours. It combines naturally with a walk across the square and a visit to the Great Hall, and it is a good rainy-day activity in a city where rain is common.
