The Suzhou Museum consists of two parts: the new museum which has been open since 2006 and the ancient architecture of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s Loyal King’s Mansion (the old museum), resembling a small garden. In the new museum, one can view artifacts such as pottery, jade, and calligraphy and paintings from ancient times to modern, while the Loyal King’s Mansion showcases the elegant and graceful ‘Suzhou-style painted decorations’.
The entrance to the museum is through the new museum’s gate, and the exit is through the gate of the Loyal King’s Mansion. Upon entering, visitors can appreciate the architecture of the new museum designed by the master architect I.M. Pei, which embodies the traditional Suzhou garden style with its undulating roofs, dark grey tiles complementing white walls, and a fresh and elegant appearance. The pyramid-shaped glass skylights on the roof fill the museum with natural light, a feature visible at the entrance, skylight corridors, cool halls, and various exhibition halls.The museum also includes courtyards, ponds, and stone bridges, blending tradition with modernity. Strolling through the new museum’s courtyard, one can enjoy the blue sky, white walls, green bamboo, and clear water, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. Walking on the stone bridges, one can also see the paintings made of sand and stone under the white walls, which are quite distinctive and worth capturing in photographs.
The museum houses four permanent exhibitions rich in Suzhou characteristics: ‘Wu Land’s Relics’, ‘Wu Pagoda’s National Treasures’, ‘Wu’s Elegance’, and ‘Wu School of Calligraphy and Painting’. It has collected many artifacts discovered from the Tiger Hill Pagoda and Rui Guang Pagoda, among which two must-see treasures are displayed in ‘Wu Pagoda’s National Treasures’: the ‘Yue Kiln Secret Color Porcelain Lotus Bowl’, composed of a bowl and a saucer, with its large lotus petal relief being very elegant and translucent; and the ‘Pearl and Gem Stupa’, a container for storing relics made of pearls and other seven treasures, dazzling and eye-catching.
In addition, the museum also has folk exhibitions to understand the customs and habits of the Suzhou area, and it often hosts temporary thematic exhibitions, such as ‘Ming and Qing Dynasties Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition’. In the Loyal King’s Mansion, visitors can tour the ancient architecture from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period and experience the scenes of that time, with the courtyard also filled with flowers, plants, and trees, pleasing to the eye.
Opening hours are from 07/02 to 09/01, Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00-20:00; from 09/02 to 12/31, Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00-17:00; from 01/01 to 06/30, Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00-17:00; and on National Day, 09:00-20:00. The Suzhou Museum may temporarily close for significant events or important equipment maintenance, with public notice provided accordingly. Service facilities include luggage storage.
