You might be a student or an employee, living an ordinary life. Or perhaps you're seeking a different experience, a new chapter in your life. In that case, these new cultural and tourism trends will offer you a unique sensation. Unlock a new persona – let's explore art museums together and become "amateur artists," indulging in the "artistic vibe"!

The National Art Museum of China

The National Art Museum of China stands as the sole national museum in our country dedicated to the plastic arts. Construction began in 1958, and in 1963, Chairman Mao Zedong inscribed the museum's name, "中国美术馆" (National Art Museum of China), officially opening its doors. This iconic architectural landmark represents China's national culture since the establishment of the People's Republic of China. The main building spans over 18,000 square meters, encompassing six floors with 21 exhibition halls, totaling 6,660 square meters of exhibition space. The surrounding area features a 3,000-square-meter sculpture garden. In 1995, a modern collection storage facility was constructed, covering an area of 4,100 square meters.

The National Art Museum of China currently houses a collection of over 130,000 works of art, spanning from ancient to contemporary times, featuring representative works by Chinese art masters from various periods, which presents a sequence of China's artistic development,  foreign art, along with a rich collection of folk art. The collection features works by renowned Chinese artists like Su Shi, Tang Yin, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong, and Lin Fengmian, calligraphy by figures like Yu Youren and Gao Ershi, sculptures by artists including Liu Kaiqu and Hua Tianyou, and works by foreign artists like Picasso, Dali, Kollwitz, and Ansel Adams.

In recent years, the National Art Museum of China has curated new exhibition formats such as the "Promotion of Chinese Spirit" series, "Collection Revitalization" series, academic invitation series, donation and collection series, international exchange series, and the "Belt and Road" special exhibition series, generating significant and lasting social impact.

Currently, ongoing exhibitions at the National Art Museum of China include "Tall Towers and Long Waters – Artworks Celebrating the Spirit of the Long March and Yan'an," "Colors of Tibet – Bama Zaxi Art Exhibition," and China Art Museum Planning and Research Series Exhibition: the "Micro Brush on a Vast World – Liao Songtao's Small-Scale Chinese Painting Exhibition." You can choose an exhibition that piques your interest, make a reservation, and savor the allure of art.

The China National Arts and Crafts Museum (CNACM)

The China National Arts and Crafts Museum (CNACM), along with the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, share the same location within the Beijing Olympic core area. They play a significant role in exhibiting, collecting, and researching Chinese arts and crafts as well as intangible cultural heritage.

The museum features interactive experiential halls, temporary exhibition halls, intangible cultural heritage exhibition areas, and sections highlighting arts and crafts. The collection is filled with masterpieces, especially the main exhibition "Chinese Treasures: Exhibition of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage and Arts and Crafts." This exhibition gathers the essence of contemporary Chinese arts and crafts, showcasing an array of exquisite works including jade carvings, ivory sculptures, wood and stone carvings, ceramics, lacquer ware, textiles, cloisonné, gold and silver ornaments, and filigree inlay. The craftsmanship, intricate styles, and rich connotations of these works are truly breathtaking.

While wandering through the museum, the exceptional skills and elevated aesthetic standards of the Chinese people are on full display, evoking a sense of pride. It might even inspire a desire to learn a traditional craft.

The museum employs a variety of exhibition methods, such as a traditional opera art exhibit. In the center of the hall, a traditional opera stage is set up, with seats for the audience and a sheer curtain in front. Traditional opera videos are projected onto the curtain, creating a lifelike scene. In the exhibition dedicated to the art of the guqin (a traditional Chinese musical instrument), a guqin is placed for visitors to play. In the Silk Road mural exhibit, a small temple from Xinjiang is reconstructed, showcasing precious murals and restored damaged Buddha statues, providing a feast for the eyes.

Red Brick Art Museum

The Red Brick Art Museum is located in Cuigezhuang Township, Chaoyang District, Beijing. It was established in 2007 by collector and entrepreneur Mr. Yan Shijie and his wife Ms. Cao Mei. The renowned architect and Beijing University professor Dong Yugan was invited to design the museum. The architecture and gardens of the museum feature red bricks as their fundamental elements, creating a distinctive architectural language. With mountains, waters, and courtyards, the museum seamlessly blends nature, ecology, and contemporary art.

The museum's architecture is divided into indoor and outdoor sections. The indoors are filled with red bricks, creating a strong color contrast and a rich artistic atmosphere. The interior space provides a sense of transparency. When sunlight filters through windows of various sizes and shapes on the walls, illuminating the red floor, a captivating interplay of light and shadow unfolds, narrating a rich and romantic story. The central hall of the Red Brick Art Museum is a circular space adorned with red bricks, serving as the museum's centerpiece. Several films and TV series have been filmed here.

The outdoor area of the museum resembles a landscape garden, featuring water with swans, a moat paved with blue bricks, installation art, a cafe, a western-style restaurant, and ample rest spaces. The courtyard offers a progression of scenes, merging the vitality of the city with the serenity of the countryside. At the Red Brick Art Museum, visitors leisurely stroll through art and experience it while walking.

Here, visitors not only encounter cutting-edge art exhibitions but also appreciate the outdoor landscapes. The collision of unique architectural language and multi-layered garden views brings boundless possibilities to the museum.

Currently, the exhibition "Heidi Bucher: Beyond the Skins" is on display, presenting over 100 significant works from the artistic career of Heidi Bucher, a pioneering artist of the 20th century whose importance has been overlooked by mainstream art narratives. The exhibition includes rediscovered and restored visual materials, early paper paintings, abstract silk collages, wearable sculptures from her time in Los Angeles, and her "skinning" series that focuses on human bodies and architecture during her creative peak. The exhibition will run until October 8th.

Times Art Museum

The new Times Art Museum is located within the Huaxi Live commercial district in Beijing's Wukesong area. The museum has a total exhibition area of approximately 6,000 square meters and a flowing exhibition line of about 672 meters. The main structure of the museum consists of multiple irregular spaces, presenting a combination of modern and futuristic free forms, as well as showcasing visual tension, openness, and rich imagination.

The museum is divided into four contemporary galleries, a youth and children's art gallery, a multifunctional hall, an art concept store, and five artist-in-residence studios. It features professional and international hardware facilities, including a temperature and humidity-controlled storage room, specialized exhibition lighting equipment, projection and audio equipment, and a security monitoring system. The museum's minimalist and modern spatial structure, along with its well-equipped functionalities, meet the diverse requirements for high-standard exhibitions, lectures, forums, screenings, and public relations activities of various forms.

In 2016, the Times Art Museum officially moved into its new location in the Wukesong district, enhancing its connection with people. Unlike traditional commercial malls, Huaxi Live is positioned as a youthful and artistic space, naturally attracting an audience with a natural interest in culture.

As people engage in shopping and leisure activities here, they may unexpectedly encounter the embrace of art with a simple turn. This is in line with the museum's concept of "artful life, artistic living," where both aspects mutually support and complement each other.

The museum aims for art not to be admired from a distance but to be integrated into the minutiae of daily life, becoming a part of life itself. This way, everyone can enjoy beauty and the pleasure brought by art in the most ordinary moments.

The ongoing exhibition at the Times Art Museum, titled "Nookland: Cosmic Elements," presents a multitude of astronomical photography works, visualizing celestial wonders. The exhibition is set to continue until October 8th.