Once coming to a new city, you should visit museums there. Thus, you can know its origin. It is also true for Chongqing.

Now, let’s take Chongqing Rail Transit (CRT) trains to museums standing in the main urban areas, to understand the history of this land. But given the COVID-19 epidemic, you should make an appointment and take your ID card (if necessary).

Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum

Ticket Price: Free (Please follow the official WeChat account Chongqing China Three Gorges Museum and make an appointment first)

Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:30) daily except Monday (it will open during statutory holidays)

Getting here: Walk over 800m from the Exit A of Zengjiayan Station (CRT Line 2).

Introduction: Chongqing Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing (Chongqing Museum) was founded in 1951 as Southwest Museum. It was renamed in June 1955 as Chongqing Museum, and again in September 2000 as China Three Gorges Museum in Chongqing (Chongqing Museum) with the permission of the General Office of the State Council of China. The museum occupies 30,000 square meters of land. The building area counts to 45098 square meters, among which 23,225 square meters are exhibition halls.  Now the museum holds 50 temporary exhibitions every year besides 10 permanent exhibitions of its own, attracting 1.70 million visitors annually.

Chongqing Natural History Museum

Ticket Price: Free (Please follow the official WeChat account Chongqing Natural History Museum, click Ticket Reservation in the Reservation and Guide, and make an appointment)

Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00) daily except Monday (it will open during statutory holidays)

Getting here: Take CRT Line 6 to Zhuangyuanbei Station; check out at the Exit 1C and take Bus No. 560 or check out at the Exit 2B and take Bus No. 583.

Introduction: Chongqing Natural History Museum is a time-honored museum, whose predecessor is the Science Academy of West China that was founded by the patriotic businessman, Lu Zuofu in 1930 and the West Museum of China that was a cooperative formed by the Chinese West Academy and more than ten other famous institutions in 1943.

Chongqing Jianchuan Museum

Ticket Price: RMB 50/adult (You can buy tickets at the ticket counter or on the website of Ctrip with ID card)

Opening Hours: 9:00-17:30 (last admission at 17:00)

Getting here: Walk over 600m from Exit B of Xiejiawan Station (CRT Line 2).

Introduction: The place where the Chongqing Jianchuan Museum stands has 51 air raid shelters. It is the former site of Hanyang Arsenal, established by Zhang Zhidong during the Westernization Movement after it moved to Chongqing, and that of Ordnance Bureau No.1 Arsenal, built during the War of Resistance. The Museum set up the Museum of the Site of the Ordnance Bureau No.1 Arsenal to commemorate it. Characteristics of the city spread everywhere in the Chongqing Jianchuan Museum. Especially in the Chongqing Story Museum, visitors can even find restored old streets and shops. There are eight theme museums built-in air raid shelters.

Chongqing Bayu Folk-Custom Museum

Ticket Price: Free (Please follow the official WeChat account Chongqing Bayu Folk-Custom Museum and make an appointment, or show your ID card at the entrance)

Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:30) daily except Monday (it will open during statutory holidays).

Getting here: Walk over 500m from Exit 1 of Bijin Station (CRT Line 3).

Introduction: Chongqing Bayu Folk-Custom Museum sits in the Bijin Park. After the re-design in 2015, it welcomed the Folk-Custom Exhibition Hall and Ancient Bed Exhibition Hall. The former mainly shows folk customs in Bayu, such as traditional farming, material life, marriage customs, and folk religions; the latter, based on the former Wedding Courtyard of the Museum, is primarily for ancient beds and other exquisite wooden furniture dated back to mid-to-late Qing dynasty and early 20th century.

Chongqing Sichuan Opera Museum

Ticket Price: Free (It only accepts individual visitors. Please call 63011293 three days (included) in advance for an appointment. On the day of the visit, visitors should show the valid ID card and Huiyou Code used for the appointment before entering the Museum)

Opening Hours: 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:00) daily except Monday (it will open during statutory holidays)

Getting here: Walk over 700m from the Exit 3 of Renhe Station (CRT Line 5).

Introduction: Chongqing Sichuan Opera Museum is a cultural name card of the city, which is deeply influenced by this art. It owns four exhibition areas, which are Extraordinary Works, Environment for Sichuan Opera in Ba and Shu, Remarkable People of Sichuan Opera, and Sichuan Opera in Bayu. It exhibits over 500 pictures and nearly 1,000 historical artifacts, including 17 costumes. The Museum even built a stage simulated the ones in Ming and Qing dynasties to demonstrate Sichuan Opera’s glorious past. Visitors can sing classical songs, which are works of famous Sichuan Opera artists, through interactive facilities.

Chongqing Historic Sites Museum of the War of Resistance against Japan

Ticket Price: RMB 9/person (Please buy tickets via the official WeChat account Chongqing Historic Sites Museum of the War of Resistance against Japan or on the website of Ctrip. No cash accepted.)

Opening Hours: 9:30-17:00 (last admission at 16:00)

Getting here: Take CRT Line 6 to Shangxinjie Station; check out at Exit 2; take Bus No. T072 Charming Nan’an District Sightseeing Bus Line A to Huangshan · Chongqing Historic Sites Museum of the War of Resistance against Japan Station.

Introduction: Chongqing Historic Sites Museum of the War of Resistance against Japan is situated in the Huangshan Scenic Area, Nanshan Ecological Zone, Nan’an District, Chongqing. The Museum enjoys 15 historic sites with buildings built during the early 20th century. They were official residences harmoniously incorporating Chinese and Western features, with an architectural style found in mountainous regions. Landscapes here are beautiful, vegetation is rich, and climate appealing. Visitors can overlook the Yuzhong Peninsula and the magnificent scenery of the Jialing River meeting the Yangtze River from the Scenic Area.

However, since the indoor exhibition halls are closed, visitors can only travel outdoors.