Museums

Henan province is right in the center of China, on the country's Central Plain. The province, believed to be one of the key birthplaces of Chinese civilization and Huaxia culture, has a history of more than 3,000 years, with more than 20 dynasties founding their capital cities in Henan. Of the eight ancient Chinese capital cities, four were in Henan: Luoyang, Kaifeng, Anyang and Zhengzhou. The four great inventions of ancient China–the compass, gunpowder, papermaking and printing–came from Henan.

The province is also home to a wide range of museums, with numerous collections of priceless treasures, all of which highlight ancient Chinese wisdom. The following are several national first-class museums in Henan province.

Henan Museum

Henan Museum was founded in Kaifeng in 1927, and moved to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province in 1961. The museum was reconstructed in 1994, and opened to the public in 1998 with a floor space of 8.4 hectares. It houses more than 170,000 items or sets of relics, most of which are valuable cultural pieces featuring bronze ware, jade ware, chinaware and stone carvings. As one of the earliest museums in the country, it was listed as a national first-class museum in 2008, and is a treasure house showcasing the origins and development of Huaxia culture.

Address: 8 Nongye Rd, Zhengzhou, Henan province
Tel: +86-371-63511237/63511063
Official website: http://www.chnmus.net 
Open hours: 9 am-5:30 pm (no entry after 4:30 pm)
9 am-5 pm during winter (no entry after 4 pm)
Closed on Mondays (except for national holidays)
Admission fee: Free