National Museum of China (Guojia Bowuguan)

Description:

• The Museum of the Chinese Revolution and the Museum of History have been united in a single building, but renovations won't be completed until 2008. Until then, a series of exhibits emphasizing the greatness of the Chinese civilization will be shown. Some effort has been made to spruce things up, and English captions have been added to a number of the displays, although they are conspicuously lacking from the hilarious wax figure hall. In the past, interest centered on who was omitted from Chinese history; now it focuses on who is included. Former unpersons such as Liu Shaoqi and Lin Biao, Mao's ill-fated heirs apparent, are displayed alongside their tormentors. The Party line is scrupulously followed: The passive and obsequious Lin, whose death went unreported for nearly a year, is still said to have plotted to seize power from Mao. Note:
  

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2009
•  Recommended 2010