China Art Museum

Lonely Planet review

This revamped museum has received a healthy shot of imagination and flair, with absorbing exhibitions from abroad promising doses of colour and vibrancy. Běijīng's art lovers have lapped up some top notch presentations here, from the cream of Italian design to modern art works from the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

The modern art from Taipei offered a chance to compare contemporary mainland Chinese art - with its burdensome political baggage and endlessly recurring themes - with the light-footed, invigorating and more universalist conceptions from the island across from Fújiàn. English captions can be sporadic, but this is a first-rate place to see modern art from China and abroad and, just as importantly, to watch the Chinese looking at art. Lifts allow for disabled access.