Situated on the top of the Pipashan Mountain, Chongqing Museum was founded in 1951 as the Southwest Museum and was renamed as Chongqing Museum in 1955. Covering a construction area of 5500 sqm, the museum has over 40 exhibiting halls with about 100,000 pieces of relics, which spans over 3000 years history from the ancient Kingdom of Ba and the near-mythical Three Kingdoms Period to World War Two and the Chinese Revolution.
These antiquities mainly include bronze wares, pottery, paintings, porcelain, sculptures, etc, of which relics of Ba-Shu culture, painting of various dynasties, terra-cotta and sculpture of the Han dynasty and pottery and porcelain are most famous.
Relics of the Ba-Shu culture: In this section, Ba-Shu bronze weapons are most noticeable. Exquisitely made and elaborately engraved, these weapons, especially " Round top axe " and " Spear with two rings " , all express distinctive local features of the Ba culture.
Terra cottas and sculptures of the Han dynasty: These exhibits reflect the social life of the Han dynasty with their vivid appearances and designs. Various pottery figures, including storytellers, singers and dancers, musicians, cooks, etc, are meticulously carved with lifelike expressions and the surface carving of picture bricks and stones describe incisively people's yearning for a happy life.
Pottery and porcelain: Sichuan kilns have special local characteristics. In this section, Tang Tri-color Pottery products of the Qiong kiln are the most famous. Also, purple clay ware (Zisha) of the Ming and Qing dynasties also exhibited in this section.
The museum also has systematic collections of traditional cultural relics including: pictures and calligraphies of masters since the Song dynasty.