The Oriental Metropolitan Museum
Museum exploring Nanjing's Six Dynasties heritage
No. 302 Changjiang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
The Oriental Metropolitan Museum (Dongfang Duyun Bowuguan) is a focused history museum on Changjiang Road dedicated to Nanjing's Six Dynasties period (220–589 AD), when the city served as the capital of multiple successive southern kingdoms and became one of the most sophisticated cultural and political centers in East Asia. Housed in a carefully restored Republican-era building, the museum uses archaeological finds, model reconstructions, and interpretive displays to evoke the refined urban culture of ancient Jiankang, as Nanjing was then known.
Admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 9:00am to 5:00pm (last entry at 4:00pm). It is closed on Mondays.
Details
Six Dynasties Exhibits
The museum's galleries trace Nanjing's role as the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties capital, a period when the city attracted scholars, poets, Buddhist monks, and aristocratic refugees from the north. Displays include celadon ceramics, bronze mirrors, gold and jade ornaments, inscribed stone fragments, and architectural remnants recovered from Six Dynasties sites around the city. The exhibition narrative emphasizes the period's contributions to Chinese literature, philosophy, and Buddhism, as well as its cosmopolitan atmosphere as a refuge for northern émigré families.
The Building
The museum occupies a restored early 20th-century building that once formed part of Nanjing's Republican-era administrative quarter. Its brick facade, wooden staircases, and period interior details provide a fitting backdrop for exhibitions on the city's deep history. The contrast between the modern display cases and the historic architecture gives the museum an intimate, salon-like atmosphere quite different from larger institutions.
Nearby Cultural Sites
The museum sits on Changjiang Road, a short walk from the Presidential Palace, the 1912 Bar District, and the Jiangsu Art Museum. This central location makes it easy to combine a visit with other attractions documenting Nanjing's long history as a capital city. The surrounding tree-lined streets are pleasant for walking and are lined with several well-preserved Republican-era buildings.
Getting There
Address: No. 302 Changjiang Road, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
**Daxinggong Station** on Line 2 and Line 3 is the nearest subway stop, within easy walking distance. The museum is on Changjiang Road between the Presidential Palace and Xinjiekou.
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The Oriental Metropolitan Museum