The Chifeng Museum is the best single introduction to the Hongshan culture, a neolithic civilisation that flourished across the western Liaohe River basin roughly 5,500 years ago. The jade collection is the highlight: dragon coils, turtle figures, and ceremonial objects carved from material transported hundreds of kilometres from its source, demonstrating a level of long-distance exchange that was not supposed to exist this early. The displays are well-organised and the labelling reasonably good in both Chinese and English.
Beyond the Hongshan galleries, the museum covers the Liao dynasty period, when Chifeng's region was part of the Khitan empire and a major centre of Buddhist and imperial culture. The ceramics from this period — fine white porcelain and distinctive three-colour glazed ware — are comparable to Tang dynasty output. There is also a natural history section covering the geology of the Hexigten area and the region's significant fossil record. Allow at least two hours for the full collection.