The Guangzhou Museum, a national first-grade museum founded in 1929, has its main venue in the historic Zhenhai Tower in Yuexiu Park. As one of China’s pioneer museums, it now encompasses four exhibition sites and boasts a collection of over 135,000 artifacts, serving as a comprehensive window into Guangzhou’s history and culture.
Guangzhou Museum Facts
- Location: No. 99, Zhenhai Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province (Inside Yuexiu Park)
- Area: 7,600 square meters
- Collection: About 50,000 artifacts
- Opening Hours: 09:00 – 17:30 (Closed on Monday)
- Tickets: CNY 10. Trip.com discount
- Highlights: Embroidery, Silk Textiles, Cantonese Porcelain
The Guangzhou Museum is a well-known local history museum. It is an important place for collecting and showing old objects that tell the story of Guangzhou’s past. Besides its main site in Zhenhai Tower, the museum also has three other sites: The Art Gallery, the Sanyuanli Revolution Memorial Hall, and the Site of Headquarters of Mar. 29 Uprising.
Zhenhai Tower
The Zhenhai Tower exhibition area is located in the beautiful Yuexiu Park. The tower itself, often called the “Five-Story Tower,” is a famous Guangzhou landmark with a history dating back to 1380. For centuries, it has been a popular place to enjoy panoramic views of the city and is one of the celebrated “Eight Sights of Guangzhou.”
The tower’s permanent exhibition, “City Landmark, City History,” takes visitors on a journey through Guangzhou’s past. As you walk up each floor, you explore a different historical period:
- 1st Floor: Introduction to Guangzhou’s development and spirit.
- 2nd Floor: Pre-Qin to Han Dynasty history.
- 3rd Floor: The Three Kingdoms through to the Song and Yuan dynasties.
- 4th Floor: Guangzhou during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
- 5th Floor: Modern history.
The red-brown tower houses nearly a thousand exhibits, including artifacts, pictures, and documents. Besides the main exhibition, don’t miss the antique cannons and ancient stone tablets outside. There is also a special hall for temporary exhibitions on the east side.
The Art Gallery
Located east of Zhenhai Tower, the Zhongyuan Tower exhibition area is housed in the former Zhongyuan Library, a building constructed in 1930 in an architectural style that blends Chinese and Western elements. It was originally built to commemorate Deng Zhongyuan, a general of the 1911 Revolution, and is now a protected cultural heritage site. The main building also serves as an art gallery for the museum.
This area features two distinct exhibitions:
- “Maritime Trade Treasures: Guangzhou’s Export Art from the 18th to Early 20th Century” (inside the main building): This exhibition displays a wide range of traditional crafts made for export, including ivory carvings, embroidery, silk, Cantonese porcelain, and export paintings. It recreates the bustling history of Guangzhou’s foreign trade.
- “History of the Earth and Evolution of Life” (in the Science Museum): This exhibition uses meteorites, minerals, and fossils to vividly illustrate the planet’s formation and the evolution of life.
Sanyuanli Revolution Memorial Hall
The Sanyuanli People’s Anti-British Struggle Memorial Hall, located at No. 34 Guangyuan Middle Road, is housed in the historic Sanyuan Ancient Temple. This Qing-dynasty temple, with its distinctive traditional architecture, became the rallying point in 1841 for local villagers who, after initial clashes with British troops, organized a massive resistance effort. The ensuing Battle of Niulangang Mountain made the temple and the Sanyuanli incident famous worldwide. The hall now hosts the “Exhibition on the History of the Sanyuanli Anti-British Struggle by the People of Guangzhou.
Site of Headquarters of Mar. 29 Uprising
The Memorial Hall of the March 29th Uprising Headquarters is situated in a distinctive Lingnan-style blue-brick mansion at 5 Xiaodongying, Yuehua Road. This well-preserved historical building served as the command center for the landmark Huanghuagang Uprising.
Travel Tips for Guangzhou Museum
For most visitors, the Zhenhai Tower and Zhongyuan Tower exhibition areas are the primary highlights of the Guangzhou Museum. They are located next to each other within the scenic Yuexiu Park, making it convenient to explore both. We recommend focusing your time on these two sites, which together offer a comprehensive journey through Guangzhou’s local history and its renowned export arts.
The Sanyuanli People’s Anti-British Struggle Memorial Hall and the March 29th Uprising Headquarters Memorial Hall are located at separate addresses outside the park. They are highly valuable for those with a specific interest in modern Chinese history but can be considered if you have extra time.
How to get to Guangzhou Museum
How to get to Zhenhai Tower & Zhongyuan Tower
- Take metro Line 2 to Yuexiu Park Station. Get out from Exit B1 to the main entrance of the park.
- Take bus 5, 7, 21, 24, 42, 58, 58A, 87, 101, 103, 105, 108, 109, 110, 113, 124, 180, 182, 186, 211, 244A, 244B, 256, 265, 273, 284, 519, 528, 543, 555 or 556 and get off at Yuexiu Gongyuan Station.
How to get to Sanyuanli Revolution Memorial Hall
- Take metro Line 2 to Sanyuanli Station. Get out from Exit B and walk approximately 500 meters to reach the memorial hall.
- Take bus 268, 278, 540, 807, 46, 175, 179, 189, 241 or Tourist Line 3 and get off at the “Sanyuanli Gumiao” Station.
How to get to Site of Headquarters of Mar. 29 Uprising
- Take bus 10, 36, 66, 76, 76 Express, 190, 191, 219, 233, 544, or 864 and get off at the “Cangbian Road” Station.
Guangzhou Museum Tickets & Opening Hours
Book Guangzhou Museum Ticket Now| Entrance Fee | CNY 10 for the Zhenhai Tower exhibition area. Others are free. Free day of Zhenhai Tower: Jan. 8, Feb. 5, Mar. 5, Apr. 9, Jul. 9, Aug. 6, Sep. 17, Oct. 15, Nov. 5, Dec. 10 |
| Opening Hours | 09:00 – 17:30, tickets selling stops at 17:00 (closed on Mondays) |
Nearby Attractions
- Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King
- Yuexiu Park
- Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
- Guangxiao Temple