The Guizhou Provincial Museum on Beijing Road covers the archaeology and ethnography of a province whose cultural diversity is not well understood outside China. Guizhou has seventeen officially recognised ethnic minority groups, more than any other province, and the museum's ethnographic collections — textiles, silverwork, musical instruments, ceremonial objects — represent communities whose material culture is distinct from the Han Chinese mainstream in ways that the museum explains clearly.
The bronze drums in the archaeology section are among the finest in China; Guizhou was part of the ancient Dian and Yelang kingdoms that produced the drums used in religious and military ceremonies throughout the region. The Miao silver jewellery collection is extraordinary by any standard — headdresses, necklaces, and chest ornaments of extraordinary intricacy made by traditional smiths whose techniques have been passed down for generations. Admission is free; the building is modern and well-lit.