The largest museum in the world by floor area, flanking the eastern side of Tiananmen Square. The permanent collection covers 5,000 years of Chinese history and civilisation, from Neolithic jade and oracle bones through Tang dynasty sculpture, Song ceramics, Ming furniture, and Qing imperial robes. The bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties are exceptional; so is the jade collection and the painting and calligraphy galleries.
Entry is free but requires advance registration with a passport. The queues can be long on weekends and holidays; go on a weekday morning. The building is enormous and a full visit takes most of a day, so pick two or three galleries rather than trying to see everything. The café inside is basic but functional.