Perched beside the Singapore River, the Asian Civilisations Museum (nhb.gov.sg/acm; adult/child S$15/10) is both an ethnographic museum and an art gallery showcasing the history of Asian peoples and cultures. Its remarkably curated galleries, spread over three levels, are home to Southeast Asia's most comprehensive collection of pan-Asian treasures. Objects on display tell stories of the exchange of ideas that flowed from international commerce and maritime trade.
Highlights include the Tang Shipwreck collection, which features over 60,000 Tang dynasty ceramics that sank more than 1000 years ago off the shores of Sumatra; its cargo gives insights into the history of regional trade. Don't miss the ginger-root-form teapot in the Chinese Ceramics collection, modeled upon a tall piece of ginger growing from the earth.
The museum occupies the stately Empress Place Building. Designed by British architect John Frederick Adolphus McNair and built using Indian convict labor in 1865, it originally housed the colonial government offices. Note the elegant fusion of Palladian classicism and tropical touches, among them timber louvered shutters and a wide, shaded porch.
