Sanxingdui Museum

三星堆博物馆

Bulging-eyed bronze masks from a 3,000-year-old mystery culture

⚠ WeChat real-name booking required

Hours

8:30am–6pm (last entry 5pm)

Tickets

Adults ¥72, students ¥36; advance real-name booking via WeChat

Address

133 Xi'an Road, Guanghan

This museum sits beside the site of an ancient Shu civilisation that turned up bronze masks with eyes protruding like tubes, a standing bronze figure taller than a person, and bronze trees with birds perched in the branches. They look nothing like bronzes from elsewhere in China, and 'like aliens' is the reaction you hear most. The new hall, opened in 2023, is beautifully lit and staged, and you can watch conservators at work through glass. Tickets go fast, so lock in a date first and plan transport around it.