Sichuan Museum

The Sichuan Museum, in the western part of the city near Qingyang Palace, is one of China's better provincial museums. The collection covers Sichuan history and art across 12 exhibition halls, with particular strengths in the Han dynasty (200 BC–200 AD) bronzes and ceramics, Tibetan Buddhist art collected during the Qing dynasty, and the extraordinary Shu brocade collection.

The Tibetan religious art floor is impressive and often overlooked: thangkas, ritual objects, and silver-work from Tibetan monasteries that entered the Sichuan museum system during various political convulsions. Admission is free; arrive in the morning as capacity limits apply and queues form by midday on weekends.

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A story
The Sichuan Museum's most prized collection is its brocade — Shu brocade (shujin), which has been woven in Chengdu for over 2,000 years. The technique requires a minimum of three weavers working simultaneously on a single loom, and the most complex patterns take months to complete. Shu brocade was a diplomatic gift of the Sichuan kingdoms, was used in imperial garments, and was traded along the Silk Road. A single Tang-period ceremonial robe on display has over 100 colour combinations in its pattern, woven on a loom of such complexity that no complete example survives.

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