The Qingdao Municipal Museum in Shilaoren is a little known place here in Qingdao but it’s well worth a visit. On three floors you learn a lot about the history of Qingdao and Shandong. The exhibition starts with the earliest traces of humans in the area and explains how Qingdao grew into what it is today. With the help of models, diagrams and movies this long history becomes accessible and you will walk out a smarter person. On the top floor you can have a look at stunning porcelain (originals that are often several hundred years old and only survived intact because they were buried somewhere), lacquer ware from the area and a special show about the development of coins.
The museum is located on the northern side of the new opera building in Shilaoren, near the Convention Center. There is no entrance fee and you can just walk in and look around. However, I recommend that you rent an audio guide which is available at the front desk. The charge is 10 RMB and a 100 RMB deposit that you get back later. The audio guides are equipped with a small sensor that starts the guide whenever you are close to an access point. Those points are near special objects or at the start of a new room and you just need to hold the guide near it and it will start automatically. The English version was very good and informative, giving a lot of background information that’s not written on the boards. There are also Chinese and German versions (and probably other languages as well) available. After completing the tour of the museum you can check out a small museum shop with some nice books and postcards.
More on the Qingdao Museum from Nile Guide via Wcities:
“Unlike most art museums that display art for its aesthetic appeal this picture gallery favors work that details Qingdao’s history. Paintings from the Yuan, Ming and Wang dynasties are extensive. There are also Paleolithic and Neolithic articles too. But the real point-and-gawk attractions are the massive stone Buddha figures dating back to 500 BC. The largest weighs a staggering 30 tons.”
Relevant Links:
Qingdao Museum Official Website (English)
Qingdao Museum Official Website (Chinese)
Qingdao Museum Location
Christopher
@ Qingdao:
True, but while it might be well known it was empty both times I was there recently, and none if my friends here (foreign and Chinese) have ever been there. So maybe “little known” was just a wrong word – “hardly visited” or “often ignored” might fit better 😉
Steven
People might figure there is a museum in Qingdao, and there’s that big sign on Xianggang Lu trying to shout out, hey, culture here, not just beer and beaches, but still….I bet if surveyed, many people would not know this place… foreign and local alike. I have been there a grand total of 2 times in how many years.
Ryan
In my experience, when people talk about the “Qingdao Museum” they’re talking about the Qingdao Art Museum on Daxue Lu. I see no mention of it here. A lot of online sources confuse the two. The QD Art Museum is in Old Town while the QD Municipal Museum is in Shilaoren–far apart. Make sure you know which one you want to go to.
Steven
Agreed, thanks Ryan, it is confusing. I noticed last time I visited the Art Museum on Daxue Lu, the ticket/entrance sign lists their website as http://qingdaomuseum.com/, which actually is the municipal museum’s site (in Shilaoren). The Qingdao Art Museum has a website at http://qdmeishuguan.com/. Neither of them have any English at the present, which hopefully will change in future.