Hangzhou Museum杭州博物馆
Hangzhou Museum is a comprehensive local museum of the city's history and culture on Hangzhou's southern axis, next to Wushan Square. Its collection of nearly 30,000 relics is strongest in Southern Song Lin'an artifacts, ceramics through the ages, and painting and calligraphy. The star piece is the Warring States crystal cup unearthed in 1990, a first-grade national relic barred from exhibition abroad.
Hangzhou · Visitor Guide2026-10-18
Quick Answer
Is Hangzhou Museum worth visiting?
Hangzhou's local-history museum, holding nearly 30,000 relics and the Warring States crystal cup (15.4 cm) as its treasure; free, 09:00-16:30, closed Mondays.
Quick facts
| Ticket | Free admission (bring an ID or a reservation code) |
|---|---|
| Hours | 09:00-16:30 (last entry 16:00); closed Mondays (national holidays excepted) |
| Recommended duration | Allow 1.5-3 hours |
| Best time to visit | Good in any season; a fine summer cool-down, and winter visits are the most relaxed (fewest crowds) |
| How to get there | Metro Line 1 to Ding'an Road station Exit B, then about 8 minutes on foot; buses 8 and 25 to Wushan Square |
| English signage | Yes |
| Wheelchair accessible | Yes |
| Collection size | Nearly 30,000 relics (over 1,000 classified as treasured) |
| Star relic | Warring States crystal cup (first-grade relic) |
| Established | New building opened in 2001 |
| Type | Comprehensive local-history museum |
| Grade | National second-grade museum |
What to expect
Hangzhou Museum stands at 18 Liangdaoshan in Shangcheng District, facing Wushan Square — a comprehensive local museum of Hangzhou's history and culture. Built into the hillside, it covers about 24,000 sq m with roughly 8,000 sq m of galleries. Its nearly 30,000 relics run from antiquity to modern times, strongest in Southern Song Lin'an artifacts, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, jade, and stamps. The star piece — the Warring States crystal cup — was unearthed in 1990 from a Warring States tomb at Banshan in Hangzhou: 15.4 cm tall and dazzlingly clear, it is one of the largest crystal cups ever found and a first-grade national relic.
The Southern Song hall is the museum's core exhibit, presenting the urban layout of Lin'an, court life, and street scenes of the era. Displays include Southern Song guan-ware porcelain, gold and silver objects, coins, eave tiles, and brick carvings; the copper coins cast at the Shaoxing mint and the gold and silver wares testify to the Southern Song economy at its height. The museum also stages rotating special exhibitions, including exchanges with museums in China and abroad.
Practical notes: entry is free with an ID or a reservation code. Free guided tours run twice daily (10:00 and 14:00) and are worth joining for deeper context. Flash and tripods are banned. A visitor service center offers luggage storage. The Southern Song Lin'an sites are the heart of Hangzhou's Song culture — pair the museum with the Deshou Palace ruins and the Southern Song Imperial Street.
How to get there
Take Metro Line 1 to Ding'an Road station, Exit B, then walk north along Yan'an Road past Gaoyin Street to Liangdaoshan, about 8 minutes. Buses 8, 25, and 68 stop at Wushan Square, a 5-minute walk away. From Hangzhou East station it is about 30 minutes on Metro Line 1.
Best photo spots
- The museum atrium (the beauty of the structure)
- The Warring States crystal cup (star relic)
- The Southern Song guan-ware porcelain gallery
- The museum entrance on Liangdaoshan
- Wushan Square and Chenghuang Pavilion nearby
Tips
- Free booking: reserve ahead on the museum's official WeChat account; 2-3 days ahead around holidays
- Pick up a floor plan at the second-floor service desk and fix your route first
- Closed Mondays (holidays excepted) — build that into your itinerary
- The air-conditioning is strong; bring a light layer in summer
- Wushan Square, Hefang Street, and the Southern Song Imperial Street are all within walking distance — combine them in one day
Scams to avoid
- No notable scams around the museum; just be firm with pushy street vendors nearby
- Museum-shop prices are reasonable, but the same souvenirs may be cheaper on e-commerce platforms
Frequently asked questions
Does Hangzhou Museum need a reservation?
You can enter on the spot with an ID, or reserve ahead on the official WeChat account. Around holidays, reserve ahead to skip the queue.
What is the museum's star relic?
The most important piece is the Warring States crystal cup, unearthed in 1990 and a first-grade national relic barred from leaving China. Also notable are the celadon lotus lamp unearthed at Jinniushan and other treasures.
How long does a visit take?
The permanent exhibits need about 1.5-2 hours, special exhibitions extra. With an audio guide or a docent tour, allow 3 hours or more.
Is Hangzhou Museum the same as Zhejiang Provincial Museum?
No. Zhejiang Provincial Museum is at West Lake Cultural Square (near Wulin Square) — larger and higher-graded. Hangzhou Museum focuses on the city's own history and culture; the two are about 5 km apart.
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Other things to do in Hangzhou
Grand Canal (Hangzhou Section)
The 1,776 km Grand Canal's southern terminus — a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2014 — runs through Hangzhou as a working waterway past the 1631-built Gongchen Bridge and free museums.
Hefang Street (Near West Lake)
Qinghefang is Hangzhou's most famous old street — 1,000-plus years since the Southern Song, free to enter, a 10-minute walk from Metro Line 1, lined with century-old shops like Hu Qingyu Tang.
Hefang Street
Hangzhou's most historic antique-style shopping street, about 1800 m of Ming, Qing and Republican buildings; free entry, shops 09:00-22:00, 10 minutes from Ding'an Road metro.
Leifeng Pagoda
Leifeng Pagoda in Evening Glow, one of the Ten Scenes of West Lake and home of the White Snake legend. CNY 40 buys the climb for sweeping lake views and the excavated underground palace.
Lingyin Temple
Hangzhou's oldest temple, founded in the Eastern Jin dynasty, still thronged with worshippers and rich in precious stone carvings. Combo ticket for Feilai Peak and Yongfu Temple CNY 75.
Longjing Tea Plantation
The heartland of West Lake Longjing tea, home to the 18 Imperial Tea Trees honored by Emperor Qianlong. Wander the tea fields free of charge and taste tea at the source.
Meiling Tunnel Trail
A classic Hangzhou hiking route linking Lingyin with Meijiawu by way of the Meiling Tunnel — about 8 km of quiet woodland and fine tea-terrace scenery.
Putuoshan Island
Buddhist island sacred to Guanyin — 3 major temples, 33 m golden statue. Ferry ¥160 round-trip from Zhoushan. Half-day minimum. Pilgrimage site with a serene coastal atmosphere.
Gongchen Bridge & Grand Canal
The Grand Canal's signature three-arch stone bridge in Hangzhou, built in 1631, with the Xiaohe Straight Street heritage quarter just west — free, and best explored on foot.
Six Harmonies Pagoda
A 60-meter Song-era pagoda on Yuelun Hill above the Qiantang River — 7 interior floors hiding behind 13 exterior eaves, climbable in about 90 minutes for a river-and-bridge view.
Southern Song Imperial Street
The central artery of the Southern Song capital Lin'an, carrying 1,000 years of history and a preserved underground road layer. Free to stroll, linked to Hefang Street, loveliest lit up at night.
Su Dongpo Memorial Hall
Memorial hall to poet Su Dongpo in Hangzhou, built in 2003 with about 2500 sqm of exhibits; free entry 09:00-16:30, closed Mondays, at the south end of the 2.8-km Su Causeway.
West Lake
Hangzhou's defining lake — 6.38 sq km ringed by 15 km of shore, free to all, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011. Boats from CNY 55; Metro Line 1 to Longxiang Bridge. Allow 4-8 hours.
Xiang Lake Park
Hangzhou's second great lake and West Lake's 'sister' — about 5 sq km of water and a 15 km cycling loop. Free entry; the Kuahuqiao museum covers an 8,000-year-old culture. Allow 3-5 hours.
West Lake Musical Fountain
Free nightly shows at 19:30 and 20:30 at the Hubin gardens on West Lake in Hangzhou; the 126-m fountain has 333 jets, so arrive early for a spot.
Xixi National Wetland Park
China's first national wetland park — 11.5 sq km of reed beds, lotus ponds, and persimmon groves threaded by water lanes, about 20 minutes west of West Lake.
Museums in Hangzhou
China National Silk Museum
The world's largest silk museum. Live silkworms, weaving demonstrations on 19th-century looms, and 2,000-year-old Silk Road textiles. Free. Hangzhou's most underrated museum.
China National Tea Museum
China's only national-level tea museum, set among actual Longjing tea plantations in Hangzhou. Tea ceremony demonstrations, 1,000+ tea artifacts, and fresh Longjing at the source. Free.
National Archives of Publications and Culture — Hangzhou Branch (Wenrun Ge)
China's newest national "version" repository, opened July 2022 in a 100,000 sqm hillside complex beside the Liangzhu Ancient City ruins in Hangzhou's Yuhang district.
Zhejiang Museum of Natural History
Hangzhou's natural history museum at West Lake Culture Square — dinosaurs, fossils, minerals, and the biology of Zhejiang's unique ecosystems. Free. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
West Lake Museum
China's first museum devoted to a single lake — West Lake's geology, 2,000 years of dredging and poetry, the Ten Scenes, and the 2011 UNESCO inscription. Free. On the lake's south shore.
Zhejiang Museum
Zhejiang's premier museum at the foot of West Lake — Neolithic archaeology (Hemudu, Liangzhu), Longquan celadon, and Hangzhou's Southern Song history. Free; 3–4 hours.
Zhejiang Provincial Museum
Liangzhu Neolithic jade (5,000-year-old ritual cong and bi), the world's finest celadon ceramics, and Southern Song imperial artifacts — on the shore of West Lake. Free.