Capital Museum, Art museum in Yuetan, Beijing, China
The Capital Museum is a municipal art museum on Fuxingmenwai Dajie in Beijing's Xicheng District. Its 2006 building, designed by Cui Kai and Jean-Marie Duthilleul, has a broad glass facade above a grey stone base, with a dark green tapered cone projecting down over the entrance. Inside, a square hall and an oval bronze hall flank a reception hall holding a Ming-dynasty archway.
The museum was established in 1981 and underwent a major transformation in 2006 when it relocated to its current location to accommodate expanding collections. This move marked a turning point that allowed the institution to present its holdings more comprehensively.
The exhibitions display bronze work, ceramics, calligraphy, and paintings that reflect how Beijing's artistic traditions developed over many centuries. You can see objects that reveal shifts in local tastes and craftsmanship through different eras.
The new building on Fuxingmenwai Dajie has five floors above ground and one below, split into a square hall, a round hall and an office block around the ceremonial hall. The permanent exhibitions are free; temporary shows may charge. Enter from the north plaza, where the ground slopes up to the ceremonial hall.
The oval Bronze Exhibition Hall leans out from the wall, its slanting form meant to suggest relics rising out of the earth. The square exhibition hall is clad in elm wood, while the round one is faced in bronze bearing Western Zhou bronze patterns unearthed in Beijing.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,878 contributors worldwide.
