Visitor Attractions in Chongqing >

Three Gorges Museum

三峡博物馆 (三峽博物館, Sānxiá bówùguǎn)

The Three Gorges Museum opened in 2005, and exhibits artifacts that were rescued from land to be covered by the waters of the reservoir created behind the Three Gorges Dam. The focus of the museum is on the culture and geography of the Three Gorges region and construction of the dam, but displays also cover the history and environment of Chongqing, from prehistoric times up to the Sino-Japanese War of 1937-1945.

This huge museum is a multi-story structure that covers an area of almost 430,000 square feet, and is located across from the Great Hall of the People:

One of the special exhibits displays lovely ceramics:

And huge vases:

The “The Money in Different Periods” exhibit contains numerous coins and bills of interest to numismatists:

This series of tableaus shows life in the Chongqing of olden times:

The only disadvantage is that in most exhibits, the objects are labeled and described only in Chinese. Nevertheless, it is well worth visiting the Three Gorges Museum. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am to 5 pm, admission is free, and it offers many special exhibits covering diverse subjects.

How to get there

Take the CRT Line 2 to the Daxigou Station, from which it is a 15-minute walk. Another attraction in the vicinity is the Great Hall of the People.