Located on the fifth floor of Parkson Department Store (Baisheng Gouwu Zhongxin), you'll find no ancient, dusty treasures here.

This is a museum to prove that contemporary Chinese craftsmanship is every bit as good as it was during the Tang dynasty.

Many items suggest otherwise, particularly large chunks of jade painstakingly carved into monuments to bad taste, and ceramic statues of arhats picking the wax from their ears. But it's a good introduction to traditional crafts and where they are produced in China.

Striking exhibits include clay figurines from Jiangsu, cloisonne from Beijing, lacquerware from Fujian, and ceramics from Jingdezhen, which predictably steal the show.

The four sections of this art museum features arts and crafts, national folk art, Beijing folk art and modern folk art.

Further Information:

Address: Fuxing Men Nei Dajie 101, East City District

Open: 9:30 -- 16:00, Tues-Sun

Admission: 8  yuan

Tel: 8610-66053476 

(China.org.cn May 1, 2005)