CAFA Art Museum
CAFA Art Museum opened in 2008 on the campus of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China's most influential art school. With six above-ground floors and two basement levels, it is one of the largest purpose-built contemporary art museums in Beijing. The collection focuses on modern and contemporary Chinese art with deep holdings of works by faculty and alumni who shaped 20th-century Chinese art history.
Beijing · art museum2026-10-18
Quick Answer
Is CAFA Art Museum worth visiting?
China's top fine-arts university museum holds roughly 13,000 works across six floors inside a purpose-built I.M. Pei-adjacent campus; allow 2 to 3 hours.
Quick facts
| Category | art |
|---|---|
| Ticket | 15 CNY for the permanent collection galleries; special exhibitions vary (as of 2026). Free for students with valid ID. |
| Hours | Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM (last entry 5:00 PM). Closed Mondays except national holidays. |
| Recommended duration | 2 to 3 hours for permanent galleries plus one special exhibition; half a day if you add the Architecture School galleries across the courtyard. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday mornings right at opening (9:30 sharp) — tour buses arrive after 11. Avoid the week before and after the CAFA graduation show in late June when the museum is overrun. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 13 to Dongdaqiao Station, Exit B, then 8-minute walk north on Jianguo Wai Dajie; or Line 2 to Dongdan then a 15-minute walk west. Taxi from Wangfujing runs CNY 25–35. The DiDi from Sanlitun is usually under CNY 20 and drops you at the south gate. |
| English signage | Yes |
Why visit
CAFA is where modern Chinese art was actually made. Walk in and you see works by Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, Li Keran, and Wu Guanzhong — the painters who rebuilt Chinese art after 1949 — alongside pieces by the YBA-style provocateurs who teach there now. It is also one of the few Beijing museums where serious exhibitions (MoMA, Pompidou, V&A collaborations) consistently tour. The campus itself, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi disciple Kazuyo Sejima's firm SANAA and Arata Isozaki, is worth the photo even if you skip the galleries.
Collection highlights
- Xu Beihong Gallery — rotating selections of sketches and oil studies by the teacher who reshaped Chinese realist painting after 1949.
- Lin Fengmian and Wu Guanzhong holdings — ink-and-oil hybrid works that defined the second half of the 20th century.
- CAFA Faculty Collection Hall — over 1,800 works donated by teachers past and present, including Li Keran, Zao Wou-Ki (alumnus), and contemporary printmakers.
- Annual graduation show (June) — over 400 MFA and BFA theses installed across the third and fourth floors. Free, crowded, and the best single-day snapshot of where Chinese art is heading.
- Architecture and design archive in the basement — a quieter, smaller room with original drawings from Liang Sicheng's circle onward.
Tips
- Buy tickets at the south gate counter (cash or WeChat/Alipay); the Trip.com and Dianping listings are often outdated on special-exhibition prices.
- Skip the free campus tour offered by student volunteers — they will walk you to the gift shop. The audio guide (CNY 20, English and Mandarin) is actually worth it for the permanent collection.
- Photography is allowed without flash for permanent galleries; special exhibitions ban it entirely, and guards enforce this strictly.
- Cross Hua Jia Di Nan Lu to the CAFAM café for lunch — the in-museum café is overpriced and the coffee is bad.
- If you only have 90 minutes, take the elevator to floor 5 (faculty collection), walk down through 4 and 3, and skip floors 1–2 unless there's a ticketed special show.
Frequently asked questions
How much is admission to CAFA Art Museum in 2026?
CNY 15 for permanent galleries; special exhibitions are priced separately between CNY 30 and 80. Students with valid ID enter free. Combo tickets covering two exhibitions run around CNY 100.
What are CAFA Art Museum's opening hours?
Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, with last admission at 5:00 PM. Closed Mondays except during national holidays such as National Day week.
When did the museum open?
The current building opened in April 2008, designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa (SANAA) with Arata Isozaki. The Central Academy of Fine Arts itself was founded in 1950 through the merger of the Beiping National Art School and three other schools.
How big is the collection?
Approximately 13,000 objects, weighted toward 20th and 21st-century Chinese paintings, prints, sculptures, and design works by CAFA faculty and alumni.
Which metro station is closest?
Dongdaqiao on Line 13 (Exit B), about an 8-minute walk north along Jianguo Outer Street. Dongdan (Lines 1 and 5) is a 15-minute walk west.
Is an English audio guide available?
Yes, at the front desk for CNY 20. Coverage is solid for the permanent collection but thinner for rotating exhibitions.
Can I see the CAFA graduation show?
The MFA/BFA graduation exhibition usually opens in early June and runs for about three weeks. Entry is free but lines can exceed one hour on opening weekends; go on a weekday morning.
Is the museum accessible for wheelchairs?
Yes — elevators reach all six above-ground floors and the two basement levels, and the entrance has a ramp off the south plaza.
Are there lockers and is bag storage available?
Coin-free lockers are at the south entrance; you scan a QR code with WeChat. Large backpacks must be stored before entering the galleries.
Is photography allowed?
Yes without flash in the permanent galleries. Most ticketed special exhibitions prohibit photography entirely; staff check at the door.
Read next
Other things to do in Beijing
798 Art District
Contemporary art in a former East German-designed electronics factory. 200+ galleries, UCCA ¥100. Half day (3–5 hours). Open 24/7, galleries 10:00–18:00. Free district entry.
Badaling Great Wall
The most classic stretch of the Great Wall, 60 km from Beijing at roughly 1,000 m. Entry CNY 40 off-season and CNY 45 in season, cableway extra; allow 2-4 hours.
Beihai Park
Beijing's most central imperial garden — a circular island temple, lotus-covered moat, and white pagoda rising from the lake, walking distance from the Forbidden City. ¥5 park entry, 2 hours.
Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)
The ruins of the 18th-century imperial garden destroyed by Anglo-French troops in 1860 — haunting stone arches, reconstructed marble bridges, and a museum of recovered artifacts. 2–3 hours. ¥10.
Beijing Botanical Garden
Beijing Botanical Garden at the foot of Fragrant Hills, about 200 hectares with 10000+ species; entry 5 yuan, greenhouse 50 yuan more, open 06:00-19:00.
The Forbidden City
The world's largest ancient palatial complex — 980 surviving buildings across 72 hectares. 3-4 hours minimum. Book tickets 7 days in advance.
Fragrant Hills Park
Beijing's most famous spot for autumn foliage: Xianglufeng peak rises 575 m, entry 10 yuan (5 off-season), cableway 100 yuan one way; best in late October, open 06:00-19:00.
Great Wall at Mutianyu
The best-preserved Great Wall section, 70 km from central Beijing. Cable car + toboggan slide. 3-4 hours including travel.
Gubeikou Great Wall
Wild, unrestored Ming Wall section 2.5h from Beijing. Crumbling watchtowers, no crowds, camping allowed. ¥45. Best for hikers and photographers wanting the real Wall.
Jingshan Park (Prospecting Mountain Park)
The best viewpoint over the Forbidden City: Jingshan's 45 m hill tops Beijing's central axis at Wanchun Pavilion; entry 2 yuan, open 6:00-21:00, opposite the palace north gate.
Juyongguan Great Wall
Famed Juyong Pass of the Great Wall near Beijing, rebuilt in the Ming dynasty with 12 watchtowers; entry 45 yuan including the Yuan-era Cloud Platform, open 8:30-17:00.
Yonghe Temple (Lama Temple)
Beijing's largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, once a living Buddha's residence — home to the Hall of the Wheel of Law and its five hundred arhats. Entry CNY 25.
Liulichang (Glazed Tile Factory)
Beijing's antique and calligraphy street with over 800 years of history, about 750 m long and home to Rongbaozhai (founded 1672); free to stroll, shops open 9:00-18:00.
798 Art District
Beijing's contemporary art hub, the 798 Art District reuses Bauhaus-style factory buildings from the 1950s across about 600,000 sqm; free entry, galleries about 10:00-18:00.
Mutianyu Great Wall
One of the best-preserved Great Wall sections near Beijing, about 5400 m with 22 watchtowers; entry 40-45 yuan, cable car 120 yuan, open 7:30-18:00, allow 3-5 hours.
Nanluoguxiang (South Luogu Alley)
Old Beijing's signature hutong — 800 years of history, now a lane of creative shops, snacks and cafes.
National Day 70th Anniversary Exhibition
An exhibition of the People's Republic's achievements across its first 70 years, on the west side of Tiananmen Square. Free, with advance reservation.
National Museum of China
The world's largest museum by floor area, with 48 galleries carrying 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.
Old Summer Palace Ruins Park
Ruins of the famed 'Garden of Gardens', burned by the Anglo-French forces in 1860 — a site that stands as a warning to later generations.
China Art Museum (Red Wall Museum)
China's top art museum, founded in 1962 with 100,000+ works in 21 galleries; free with reservation, 9:00-17:00 and closed Mondays, a 15-minute walk from Dongdan station.
Shichahai
Old Beijing's lakeside hutong-and-bars district — Houhai nights and the filming location of Mr. Six. Free to explore; allow 2-4 hours.
Summer Palace
Empress Dowager Cixi's summer palace in Beijing, about 290 hectares with Kunming Lake covering three quarters; entry 50-60 yuan, 728-metre Long Corridor, built in 1750, UNESCO-listed in 1998.
Working People's Cultural Palace (Imperial Ancestral Temple)
Site of the former Imperial Ancestral Temple southeast of the Forbidden City, with about 140,000 sqm of ancient cypress woods, many Ming-era trees; free with reservation, 6:00-20:00.
Temple of Heaven
Ming and Qing emperors' altar of heaven in Beijing, a 273-hectare park with the 38.2-metre Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests; entry 10-15 yuan or a 34-yuan combo ticket, built in 1420.
Tiananmen Square
The world's largest city square — 440,000 sq m, completed in 1959, free and open all day. The dawn flag-raising is a must-see; Metro Line 1 to Tiananmen East or West.
Museums in Beijing
798 Art District (798 Art Zone)
Beijing's converted 1950s East German factory complex now packs roughly 200 galleries, cafes, and design shops into about 600,000 sqm of Bauhaus industrial space — a full day of wandering.
Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum
Chinese architectural history from Neolithic to Qing, housed inside the 15th-century Temple of Agriculture (先农坛). ¥15. The Hall of Jupiter ceiling alone is worth the trip.
Beijing Auto Museum
China's automobile history from Chairman Mao's limousine to modern EVs, in a striking turbine-shaped building in southwest Beijing. Rare Hongqi and Shanghai sedans. ¥30.
Beijing Capital Museum
Beijing's city-level museum in its landmark new building — the definitive collection of Beijing's imperial, folk, and modern urban culture. Free with passport; 2.5–3.5 hours.
Beijing Planetarium
China's largest planetarium with two buildings, a 3D space theater, and a 200mm refractor telescope open to the public. ¥45. Excellent for families and space enthusiasts.
Beijing Police Museum
Police history, forensics, and criminal investigation through the ages. Free. Passport required. Allow 1.5–2 hours. One of Beijing's most unusual specialty museums.
Capital Museum
Beijing's city museum: 3,000 years of the capital's history with world-class galleries of ancient bronzes, Buddhist art, and Beijing folk culture. Free.
China Customs Museum
Seized smuggled goods — ivory, endangered animal parts, counterfeit luxury items — and the 2,000-year history of Chinese customs. Free. One of Beijing's strangest museums.
China Railway Museum
Stand inside Mao Zedong's personal train carriage, then walk among dozens of steam locomotives in a vast roundhouse — all for ¥20.
Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution
Beijing's massive free military museum — tanks, missiles, and Korean War exhibits told through a Chinese perspective, housed in a Stalinist architectural landmark. Allow 3–4 hours.
Museum of Chinese Gardens
All Chinese garden styles in one place — from Suzhou scholar gardens to Lingnan tropical courtyards — in a museum with real outdoor gardens and indoor exhibitions. ¥20.
National Art Museum of China
China's flagship state-run art museum with 100,000+ modern Chinese paintings, calligraphy, and folk art; 1.5-3 hours is enough to see the highlights during a single sit-and-skim visit.
National Museum of China
China's premier national museum on Tiananmen Square — 1.2 million artifacts spanning 3 million years of Chinese history.
Palace Museum (Forbidden City)
The imperial palace of Ming and Qing Dynasty emperors for 500 years — 180-acre palace complex with 980 buildings and the definitive collection of imperial Chinese art, furniture, and ceramics.
Red Gate Gallery
China's first privately-run contemporary art gallery, operating since 1991 in a Ming-dynasty watchtower.
Today Art Museum
Contemporary Chinese art in a converted boiler factory. ¥20. One of Beijing's first private contemporary art museums. Experimental and unpredictable.
UCCA Center for Contemporary Art
The anchor museum of Beijing's 798 Art District. World-class contemporary exhibitions. ¥100. The most internationally recognized contemporary art museum in China.