There are more than 2,000 private museums in China. As the first private museum of classic and antique art, Guanfu Museum has been a home to cultural relics for 16 years. People come to see its 1,000 extraordinary pieces dating back to the late Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

In Beijing’s northeastern suburb, far out on the Fifth Ring Road, Guanfu Museum sits in Jinzhan, an inconspicuous township within the sprawling Chaoyang district.

Founded by renowned antique collector, critic and writer Ma Weidu in 1997, the first Guanfu Museum was housed in a small space in Liulichang, Beijing’s famous antique street. It has moved twice since before finally settling at its current address, a location chosen because of its generous space and cheap rental.

Ma has named his museum after a word from the Taoist classic Tao Te Ching. “Guanfu” literally means “watch it again and again.”

The 6,000-square-meter museum is divided into several exhibition halls, including Pottery Hall, Furniture Hall, Oil Painting Hall, Art and Craft Hall and Door and Window Frame Hall. It is also a great destination for various types of seminars and exhibitions. There are branches of the museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province and Xiamen, Fujian province as well.

Pottery Hall

Most of the pottery exhibited here are within the reign of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to the Qing Dynasty. Over 150 pieces of artifacts are displayed throughout the year, in which some of them are products of the five most significant pottery manufacturing sites throughout the years.

A typical room resembling the Qing Dynasty decorated with mahogany furniture. Since the Qianlong and Jiaqing period of Qing Dynasty, the mahogany furniture has appeared on the stage of noble furniture and has become the leading role.

Furniture Hall

The whole exhibition area for Furniture Hall has been divided into six cubic areas for the display of different types of furniture. The furniture is basically grouped according to the type of wood that it was made from. On top of that, there is also a hall which was designed like an ancient study room. Over 200 pieces of Ming and Qing furniture are displayed here.