Liaoning Provincial Museum

Established in 1949, the Liaoning Provincial Museum in Shenyang houses over 120,000 artifacts, including ancient Chinese calligraphy, paintings, and silk embroidery.

Planning your visit

The Liaoning Provincial Museum was the first museum established in the People's Republic, opening in 1949, and its collection has an unusual origin: much of it came from the imperial holdings that the last emperor Puyi removed from the Forbidden City and took to Manchukuo, the Japanese puppet state with its capital at Changchun, where they were dispersed at the end of the war and partially recovered in this region.

That gives the museum exceptional holdings in Chinese painting and calligraphy — Tang and Song works of the highest rank, including pieces that would be national treasures anywhere. The Ming and Qing embroidery collection, particularly kesi tapestry-woven silk, is likewise outstanding.

Beyond that, over 120,000 objects cover bronzes, ceramics, and the archaeology of Liaoning, including Hongshan culture jade from the fourth millennium BC, which pushed back understanding of early Chinese civilisation in the northeast.

Admission is free with reservation. Shenyang was the Manchu capital before Beijing. Allow two hours. Bookable options include private guided tours. Current availability is listed below.