Tucked into a wing of the palace, the Chinese Museum is a small but remarkable collection of objects from Qing dynasty China, Siam, and other Asian courts — including jade, porcelain, lacquerwork, and enamels. It was created in 1863 for Empress Eugénie, who had a passion for Asian decorative arts.
The rooms are decorated in an Orientalist style that reflects 19th-century European ideas about Asia rather than any authentic tradition, but the objects themselves are genuinely fine. The backstory of the collection's acquisition — some of it diplomatic gift, some of it war loot — gives the museum a complicated context that is acknowledged in the current presentation. Entry is included in the main palace ticket.