Guangdong Museum is the provincial museum of Guangdong. It sits at No. 2 Zhujiang East Road in Zhujiang New Town, in Guangzhou's Tianhe District, right next to the Guangzhou Opera House. The building, which opened in May 2010, is modelled on a traditional Chinese lacquer box, and its interior layout draws on the Cantonese ivory puzzle ball, the carved ball nested inside another ball.
Entry is free, but there is no walk-up admission for most visitors: everyone, children included, needs a timed, real-name booking made in advance through the museum's WeChat official account. This guide covers how that booking works, the opening hours and Monday closure, the five permanent exhibitions and which floor each one is on, and the metro exits and gates to use when you arrive.
Tickets and opening hours
General admission is free for every visitor. What you need is a timed, real-name reservation, and the museum's own booking page says there is only one channel for it: the WeChat official account 广东省博物馆 (Guangdong Museum). Search for the account in WeChat, follow it and book from its menu. Your WeChat account has to be real-name verified before it can book.
- Release time: tickets are released at 22:00.
- Booking limit: each account can make one booking every 14 days, for up to 5 people.
- One entry: each booking is valid for a single entry.
- No-show penalty: two no-shows in a row, three no-shows in total, or frequent cancellations can block the account from booking for 90 days.
The official pages give the 22:00 release time but do not say how many days ahead slots open, so check the account at 22:00 and book as soon as your date is fixed. Cancel through the account if your plans change rather than simply not turning up, because missed bookings count against you.
The museum's visitor information describes real-name booking and an ID-card self-check at the West Gate. It does not set out separate rules for passports or other foreign travel documents, so bring the same document you used for the booking and allow a little extra time at the entrance.
Some visitors can register on site instead of booking online. People with disabilities and seniors aged 65 and over (each with one companion), plus military personnel, veterans and other eligible groups, can register at the group-ticket counter with valid ID.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. The museum is closed on Mondays, except when a Monday falls on a public holiday. Special closures are announced on the official website. The extended summer evening opening that ran in July and August 2026 has ended, so plan around the 17:00 close.
Audio guide: a smart audio guide for the five permanent exhibitions is available in three languages for RMB 20 per device. You need valid ID to rent one.
What's inside: the five permanent exhibitions
Five permanent exhibitions have been on show since 18 May 2010, and rotating special exhibitions run alongside them. Together they cover the province's history, its natural environment and three of its best-known crafts.
- Exhibition of Guangdong History and Culture – the museum's overview of the province's history and culture.
- Natural Resources Exhibition of Guangdong Province (4th floor) – the natural resources of Guangdong.
- Beauty of Gilt Wood (3rd floor) – Chaozhou woodcarving.
- Grace of Purple Stone (3rd floor) – Duan inkstones.
- The Art of Earth and Fire (3M floor) – historic pottery and porcelain.
The two craft halls on the 3rd floor sit side by side, which makes them easy to see together. Beauty of Gilt Wood is devoted to Chaozhou woodcarving, and Grace of Purple Stone to Duan inkstones, the carved stones calligraphers use for grinding ink. One floor up, the Natural Resources Exhibition shifts the focus from craft to the natural resources of the province.
The Art of Earth and Fire, on the 3M (mezzanine) level, traces historic pottery and porcelain. If you are short on time, the 3rd and 3M floors keep these three craft-focused halls close together.
Special exhibitions
Temporary shows change through the year, so check the official website or the WeChat account before you go. "Shared Prosperity: A Millennium of Guangdong's Foreign Trade" was a temporary exhibition, not a permanent one, and it closed on 15 October 2026, even though some listings may still show it. At the time of writing in October 2026, the temporary programme included an exhibition for the 90th anniversary of the Long March, an immersive Van Gogh digital show and "Prosperous Symphony: Masterpieces from Glasgow Museums"; their closing dates were not confirmed, so check before planning a visit around one of them.
About the museum and its building
Guangdong Museum first opened on 1 October 1959 as the Guangdong Museum (Guangzhou Lu Xun Museum), at 215 Wenming Road in Yuexiu District. The new building in Zhujiang New Town opened in May 2010, with 41,000 square metres of floor space above ground and 15,000 square metres below. Across its Zhujiang New Town and Wenming Road sites, the museum covers 77,000 square metres and holds more than 320,000 items.
The Zhujiang New Town building takes its outline from a Chinese lacquer box, a closed container that hides what is inside. The interior concept borrows from the Cantonese ivory puzzle ball, a carved sphere with smaller spheres nested inside it.
- Guangdong Museum quick facts
- Address: No. 2 Zhujiang East Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (postal code 510623)
- Admission: free, with a timed real-name booking
- Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-17:00, last entry 16:00, closed Mondays except public holidays
- Collection: more than 320,000 items across two sites
- Phone: 020-38046886
Getting there
The museum is at No. 2 Zhujiang East Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District. The museum lists three metro stations for access:
- Line 3, Zhujiang New Town station, exit B1 – the nearest station. Walk past the Guangzhou Opera House and continue about 200 m east along Linjiang Avenue.
- APM line, Guangzhou Opera House station, exit B – take the escalator up to Huacheng Square and walk to the museum's West Gate.
- Line 5, Liede station, exit D – walk about 200 m south towards Xiancun Road.
Huacheng Dadao on the APM line is not one of the stations the museum lists, so use one of the three above.
By bus: routes 18, 886, 669 and 293 stop at Xiancun Road South (冼村路南), and routes 40 and 407 stop at Guangzhou Opera House West Gate.
Gates: individual visitors enter through the West Gate. If you are driving, the car park entrance is the East Gate on Xiancun Road, which opens at 08:50; show your reservation on arrival.
What's nearby if I want to make a day of it?
The museum's direct neighbour is the Guangzhou Opera House; the walk from Line 3 exit B1 passes it on the way to the museum, so the two pair naturally on the same outing. Between the APM station and the museum's West Gate is Huacheng Square, an easy place for a walk before or after your slot.
For more of the area around the museum, see our guide to Tianhe. If you want to go further back into the region's history after your visit, see our guides to the Nanyue King Mausoleum Museum and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.
How much time should I plan for a visit?
How long you stay depends on how many of the five permanent exhibitions you want to see and whether a special exhibition is on. Pick a time slot that leaves room before last entry at 16:00 and the 17:00 close, and book an earlier slot if you want to see all five halls plus a temporary show.
If your time is limited, start with the two craft halls on the 3rd floor, Beauty of Gilt Wood and Grace of Purple Stone, then go down to The Art of Earth and Fire on 3M. Add the Natural Resources Exhibition on the 4th floor and the History and Culture exhibition if you have time left. Renting the RMB 20 audio guide helps if you want more background than the labels give.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Guangdong Museum free?
Yes. General admission is free, but every visitor, including children, must book a timed, real-name reservation in advance.
How do I book a ticket for Guangdong Museum?
Search for the WeChat official account "Guangdong Museum" (广东省博物馆) and book there. The museum says this is its only booking channel. Tickets are released at 22:00, accounts must be real-name verified, and each account can make one booking every 14 days for up to 5 people.
What are Guangdong Museum's opening hours?
Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00-17:00, with last entry at 16:00. It is closed on Mondays except public holidays, and special closures are announced on the official website.
Is Guangdong Museum open on Monday?
No, it is normally closed on Mondays. The exception is a Monday that falls on a national public holiday.
What is the nearest metro station to Guangdong Museum?
Take Line 3 to Zhujiang New Town station (exit B1) and walk about 200 m east past the Guangzhou Opera House. You can also take the APM line to Guangzhou Opera House station (exit B) and go up to Huacheng Square and the West Gate, or Line 5 to Liede station (exit D).
What are the permanent exhibitions at Guangdong Museum?
There are five, all open since 18 May 2010: the Exhibition of Guangdong History and Culture; the Natural Resources Exhibition of Guangdong Province (4th floor); Beauty of Gilt Wood, on Chaozhou woodcarving (3rd floor); Grace of Purple Stone, on Duan inkstones (3rd floor); and The Art of Earth and Fire, on pottery and porcelain (3M floor).
What happens if I miss my reservation?
Two no-shows in a row, three no-shows in total, or frequent cancellations can block an account from booking for 90 days. Each booking is valid for one entry.
Can seniors or visitors with disabilities enter without booking?
Yes. People with disabilities and seniors aged 65 and over (with one companion), plus military personnel, veterans and other eligible groups, can register on site at the group-ticket counter with valid ID.
Guangdong Museum is free, but the visit only works if you book first: use the 广东省博物馆 WeChat official account, watch for the 22:00 release, and remember the one-booking-per-14-days rule. Go on any day from Tuesday to Sunday, arrive well before the 16:00 last entry, and use Line 3 Zhujiang New Town exit B1, the APM to Guangzhou Opera House or Line 5 Liede to reach the West Gate.
For authoritative information, refer to the Guangdong Museum (Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou) official site and Guangdong Museum (Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou) on Wikipedia.
