# China National Silk Museum, Hangzhou > The China National Silk Museum is the world’s largest silk museum, just south of West Lake in Hangzhou. Entry is free with your passport and needs no booking. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), and is closed on Mondays. Allow 1–1.5 hours for the Silk Road galleries, silkworms and working looms. Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-silk-museum - City: [Hangzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou), China - YesGo score: 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - Entry: Free, passport required - With kids: Fine with kids - Admission: Free, passport required - Booking: Not needed for individual visitors - Hours: Tue–Sun 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30 - Closed: All day Monday; open on public holidays - Address: 73-1 Yuhuangshan Road (玉皇山路73-1号), south of West Lake - Enquiries: +86 571 8703 5150 - Guided tour: Paid, book on +86 571 8703 5223 - Audio guide: Free smart guide on the museum’s WeChat account; paid audio guide on site - Getting there: Taxi from the Hubin lakefront in 10–15 minutes, or walk from Leifeng Pagoda; buses to the Silk Museum stop - Coordinates: 30.22500, 120.14722 - Facts checked: 05.11.2026 ## Key facts - **Free** — admission for everyone since 1 January 2004 (source: official museum website, About section) - **Monday** — closed all day; open when a public holiday falls on a Monday (source: official museum website, opening-hours notice) - **Largest** — silk museum in the world and China’s largest textile museum (source: English Wikipedia; China Educational Tours) - **1992** — opened on 26 February as one of China’s first state-level museums (source: official museum website; English and Chinese Wikipedia) - **2016** — reopened after a full rebuild that began in 2015 (source: Chinese Wikipedia; official museum website) - **42,286 m²** — site area, garden included (source: official museum website) - **22,999 m²** — floor area after the rebuild (source: official museum website) - **First grade** — National First-Grade Museum since 2012 (source: Chinese Wikipedia; English Wikipedia) - **4 long-term** — exhibitions: silk and the Silk Road, sericulture and weaving, textile conservation, the Xinyou archive (source: official museum website) - **中国丝绸博物馆** — the Chinese name to show a taxi driver (source: official museum website; English Wikipedia) > **Closed all day on Mondays** Plenty of guides still say the museum opens on Monday afternoons. That’s out of date: according to the notice on the official website, it opens Tuesday to Sunday and stays shut all day Monday, except on public holidays. Last entry is 16:30, so arrive by 15:30 if you want time for the main galleries and the weaving hall. ## Is the China National Silk Museum free? Yes. Entry to the China National Silk Museum has been **free** since 2004, and in 2024 the museum dropped advance booking for individual visitors. There are no tickets: show your passport at the door — the original, not a copy or a photo. Groups and anyone wanting a guided tour should phone ahead. The museum states plainly that it has **never authorised any third-party site to sell tickets** or tours in its name. If someone offers you a paid “Silk Museum ticket”, you’re being sold free entry. Only some temporary exhibitions are ever charged, and the museum announces those on its own website and WeChat. You’ll still need money for the shop, the café and getting there. Link a foreign Visa or Mastercard to **Alipay or WeChat Pay** before you fly, and keep some small yuan notes as a backup. ## What is the China National Silk Museum? It’s the **largest silk museum in the world** and China’s leading textile museum (中国丝绸博物馆). It opened in 1992 as one of the country’s first state-level museums and was named a National First-Grade Museum in 2012. Hangzhou is the natural home for it: the city and the villages around it lived off silkworms and looms for centuries. A full rebuild in 2015–2016 turned it into a campus of buildings in a garden at the foot of Yuhuang Hill: a curved glass entrance with fountains, separate halls for fashion and sericulture, a conservation centre and an archive. It’s a working institution too: since 2010 it has housed the Chinese Center for Textile Identification and Conservation. Labels in the main galleries are in Chinese and English. For the detail — how a draw loom works, what makes one weave different from another — use the free smart guide on the museum’s WeChat, rent the paid audio guide or book a guided tour in advance. ## What to see at the Silk Museum - **Chinese Silk and the Silk Road** (锦程) — the core exhibition: silk from Neolithic times to the Ming and Qing dynasties, excavated fabrics and garments, and silk’s journey west. - **Sericulture and silk weaving** (天蚕灵机) — the craft listed as intangible heritage: mulberry leaves, silkworms, reeling cocoons, dyeing and the big pattern looms. - **The weaving workshop** — a hall of historic looms in working order. Weavers demonstrate on some days and at some times; if you catch one at work, stop and watch — it’s the best thing here. - **Textile Conservation Gallery** — how ancient silks are saved: tools, techniques and finds after restoration. - **Fashion Gallery** — changing exhibitions of Chinese and Western dress. Check the exhibitions page on the museum’s website for what’s on. - **Xinyou Archive Center** — fabric samples, books and records on silk, mainly for people who study textiles. - **The museum shop** — silk scarves, fabric and gifts sold by the museum itself. ## How to get to the China National Silk Museum 1. From the Hubin lakefront (**Longxiangqiao** metro, 龙翔桥, Line 1) it’s about 5 km by road around the east and south shores of the lake. There’s no metro station near the museum. 2. Easiest is a **taxi or DiDi**: 10–15 minutes without traffic. Show the driver “中国丝绸博物馆 玉皇山路73-1号”. DiDi runs inside Alipay in English. 3. By bus, get off at **Silk Museum** (丝绸博物馆, Sichou Bowuguan). Guides list different route numbers — most often 42 and 12 — and lines here have changed, so check the trip in Alipay’s transport section. The Alipay transit QR code covers the fare. 4. If you’re already at **Leifeng Pagoda** on the south shore, walk: the museum is about 1 km south along Nanshan Road and Yuhuangshan Road, 15–20 minutes. 5. On a hire bike it’s about 8 minutes from Leifeng Pagoda or the Su Causeway. ## Silk Museum or Tea Museum? | | Silk Museum | Tea Museum | | --- | --- | --- | | Admission | Free, passport | Free, passport | | Booking | Not needed | Weekdays no; weekends via WeChat | | Closed | Monday (official) | Usually Monday; some guides say Tuesday | | Location | South shore of the lake, near Leifeng Pagoda | Tea hills south-west of the lake | | Highlights | Silk Road, silkworms, looms | Tea history, plantations around | | Time needed | 1–1.5 hours | 1–1.5 hours | Both national museums are free. The Silk Museum fits a walk along the lake and Leifeng Pagoda; the Tea Museum pairs with Longjing village. With one day in Hangzhou, pick whichever sits on your route. ## Before you go - [ ] It isn’t Monday (or it’s a public holiday) - [ ] Original passport in my bag - [ ] Arriving by 15:30, well before last entry - [ ] Alipay or WeChat Pay set up with a foreign card - [ ] Some small yuan notes as backup - [ ] Chinese name of the museum saved on my phone - [ ] WeChat installed for the free smart guide ## Is it worth it, and how long to spend? Worth it if you care about crafts, fashion or the Silk Road: it’s free, by the lake and far calmer than the temples. Allow **1–1.5 hours** for the main galleries, the sericulture hall and the weaving workshop. Textile lovers who read every label can easily spend 2–3 hours. If museums aren’t your thing and you have one day in Hangzhou, spend it on [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) and [Lingyin Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple). The Silk Museum works best as part of a south-shore day: the pagoda in the morning, the museum after lunch, Hefang Street in the evening. It’s also the best rainy-day fallback near the lake, when boats aren’t much fun. > **Buying silk without the hard sell** In the museum shop the silk is sold by the museum itself, with prices marked. Tours that stop at a “silk factory” can end in a showroom with tourist pricing. If you buy elsewhere, read the fibre content on the label and compare prices in a couple of shops first. ## Hangzhou history: compare and choose Hangzhou places with a story, as scored by YesGo. - [Grand Canal in Hangzhou](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/hangzhou-grand-canal) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; water bus ¥3 - [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55 - [Hefang Street](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/hefang-street) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [China National Silk Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-silk-museum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free, passport required - [China National Tea Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-tea-museum) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free, passport needed - [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40 - [Longjing Tea Village](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/longjing-tea-village) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; Imperial Tea Trees ¥10 - [Liuhe Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/liuhe-pagoda) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥20 + ¥10 to climb the pagoda - [Lingyin Temple](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/lingyin-temple) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, book 1–7 days ahead - [Wuzhen](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/wuzhen) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · Xizha ¥150, Dongzha ¥110, both ¥190 ## A day on the south shore A morning on West Lake, then Leifeng Pagoda, a walk to the Silk Museum and the evening on Hefang Street. Add it to your route — YesGo sets the timing and transfers. 1. [West Lake](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/west-lake) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free; island boat ¥55 2. [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥40 3. [China National Silk Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-silk-museum) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free, passport required 4. [Hefang Street](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/hefang-street) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free ## Don’t confuse This is a state museum, not one of the silk factories or showrooms that tour groups are taken to. Nor is it the Suzhou Silk Museum, a separate city museum in another town. Hangzhou has two national museums: this one and the [China National Tea Museum](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/china-national-tea-museum) in the tea hills. ## Tips - Pair the museum with [Leifeng Pagoda](https://yesgo.io/china/hangzhou/leifeng-pagoda) — they’re 15–20 minutes apart on foot. - Come at opening time on a weekday: the galleries are nearly empty in the morning. - Weavers aren’t always at the looms — ask at the entrance when today’s demonstration is. - Save “中国丝绸博物馆” on your phone for taxis and map apps. - Don’t buy tickets on third-party sites: entry is free and the museum doesn’t sell them. - On a rainy day the museum is the best indoor plan near the lake. ## Questions ### Where is the China National Silk Museum? In Hangzhou, just south of West Lake at 73-1 Yuhuangshan Road, about 1 km from Leifeng Pagoda. ### Is the China National Silk Museum free? Yes. Bring your original passport. Only guided tours, the audio guide, the shop and some temporary exhibitions cost money. ### What are the China National Silk Museum opening hours? Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30. Closed all day Monday unless it’s a public holiday. ### Is the Silk Museum open on Mondays? No. Older guides mention Monday afternoon opening, but the official notice makes Monday a full closing day. It opens only when Monday is a public holiday. ### Do I need to book in advance? No. Individual visitors just show a passport at the door. Only groups and guided tours need booking. ### How do I get to the China National Silk Museum? A taxi or DiDi from the Hubin lakefront takes 10–15 minutes. You can also take a bus to the Silk Museum stop or walk 15–20 minutes from Leifeng Pagoda. ### How long do you need at the Silk Museum? 1–1.5 hours for the main galleries and the weaving workshop; 2–3 hours if you love textiles. ### Are the labels in English? Yes, the main galleries are labelled in Chinese and English. The free WeChat smart guide and the paid audio guide add more detail. ### Is the China National Silk Museum worth it? Yes if you like crafts, fashion or the Silk Road, or need a rainy-day plan. With only one day in Hangzhou, West Lake and Lingyin Temple come first. ## How we checked Hours, closing day, free admission, booking rules and phone numbers come from notices on the museum’s official website; some guides still list a short Monday opening, which is out of date. The opening date, area and the date admission became free come from the official About page; Wikipedia gives pre-rebuild areas, so we use the official figures. The reopening year is from Chinese Wikipedia, consistent with the official site. The address is from Wikipedia and guides, which name different districts, so it is marked “checking”. Bus numbers differ between sources and routes have changed, so we give the stop and advise checking the trip. The distance from Leifeng Pagoda is worked out from Wikipedia coordinates. ## Sources - China National Silk Museum official website: About — opening date, free admission since 2004, site and floor area, rebuild - Official website, Visit & Reservation: notices on opening hours, the end of booking for individual visitors, tickets and guided tours; phone numbers - Official website, home page: long-term exhibitions - English and Chinese Wikipedia: “China National Silk Museum”, “中国丝绸博物馆”; Wikidata Q569019 - China Discovery, Travel China Guide, China Educational Tours, China for Travelers — galleries, buses, visit length --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.