Singapore’s Asian Civilisations Museum brings together exhibits from across Asia including China, India, and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Burma, Indonesia etc). It also features a few contemporary art works from local and regional artists. The Tang Shipwreck exhibition showcases Chinese objects salvaged from the wreck of a 9th century ship that was sailing from China to Arabia including ceramics and pieces of gold and silver. The ship was sunk near the Indonesian island of Belitung.
It’s a decent museum with a spacious, orderly interior, but the exhibits are not numerous and the collection is not as impressive as museums in Tokyo, Beijing or Bangkok. It’s understandable since all of these pieces were sourced from other countries and the aim is to feature exhibits from numerous countries. However, the museum should try to expand its collection.
How to get there: The nearest subway station is Esplanade (Circle Line), to the north, and Raffles Place (East West and North South lines), to the south.
Salvaged Chinese ceramic bowls from a 9th-century shipwreck (top left). Grains of thought by Eng Tow, representing grains of rice (top right). Reproduction of a jeogui, a Korean queen’s ceremonial robe (bottom left). Panel relief of Buddha’s descent from heaven, Gandhara (modern-day Pakistan and Afghanistan), 3rd or 4th century AD.
