Beijing's other art museums

BEIJING, July 18 (Xinhua) -- In addition to the National Art Museum of China, there are other interesting artistic museums in the Chinese capital. Among them are the National Arts and Crafts Museum, the Beijing Arts and Crafts Museum and the Beijing Art Museum.

CHINA ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM

This downtown museum was opened in 1990 when its Chinese name was inscribed by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

It boasts a treasure trove of jade, wood and stone sculptures, pottery, ceramics, lacquerware, metal crafts, gold or silver wares, gauze embroidery, natural plant basketwork and folk crafts, among others. Most are considered masterpieces by great Chinese artisans and craft masters. It is a national museum and a treasure of arts and crafts in China.

In recent years, many masterpieces of the museum have been shown in the government-sponsored international cultural exchanges, such as the "Chinese Culture's Tour to the United States" in 2000 and "Experience China" in Brazil in 2004.

The four sections of this museum feature arts and crafts, national folk art, Beijing folk art and modern folk art.

Address: 101 Fuxingmen Inner St, Xicheng District, Beijing

Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Closed on Monday)

Entry: 8 yuan

Telephone: 8610-66053476

BEIJING ART MUSEUM

The museum was set up in April 1985 in the Wanshou Temple (Temple of Longevity) in northwestern Beijing.

Its permanent collection includes bronze and jade from the Shang (1,600 BC to 1,100 BC) and Zhou (1122 BC to 221 BC) dynasties, ceramics, enamels, carved lacquerware, ivory, weavings and embroideries of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Ancient coins from China and Japan compliment the other collections. There are over 50,000 items from the Neolithic Periodto modern times.

The Wanshou Temple was erected during the reign of Emperor Wanli in the Ming Dynasty to store Buddhist scriptures in Chinese. During the Ming and Qing dynasties birthday celebrations for the imperial family were celebrated there.

Address: Wanshou Temple, Suzhou Street, Haidian District, Beijing

Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Closed on Monday)

Entry: 10 yuan

Telephone: 8610-68413380, 68479391

BEIJING ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM

Founded in 1987 and run by Beijing Gongmei Group, it was one of the first museums to be owned by an enterprise. Yet, its voluminous collections of arts and crafts, about 3,000 rare pieces in all, are comparable to that of any provincial museum.

Main attractions: Its most-prized collections include precious works of carved jade and lacquer, cloisonne, wood and ivory carvings and bronzes created by a number of national-level masters. Besides its own collections on display, theme exhibitions are held at least once a month. They are co-sponsored by the museum or companies involved in arts and handicrafts from all across China. There are always new things to see.

Address: 200 Wangfujing St, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Entry: 10 yuan

Telephone: 8610-65289326

Website: www.gongmeigroup.com.cn/index.asp