China Maritime Museum

The China Maritime Museum is a museum building in Nanhui New City featuring two parallel wings with a central hall and distinctive curved gridshell structures. The design rises above an artificial lake that surrounds the building.

The building was constructed from 2006 to 2009 and was China's first institution dedicated entirely to maritime heritage. This milestone marked a new focus on documenting and sharing the nation's seafaring legacy.

The displays show traditional navigation methods, trade routes, and ancient ship models that document China's maritime past across different periods. Visitors can see objects from various eras that tell the story of how seafaring shaped the region.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 09:30 to 16:30 and features both permanent collections and rotating exhibitions. Plan time to explore all areas of the building, including the spaces around the artificial lake.

Two curved shells made of light-gray granite meet at a single point and are connected by a glass facade supported by pretensioned cable networks. This unusual construction creates a remarkably open and airy interior environment within the museum.