We’ve been taking you across the globe to show you some of the most beautiful museums in the world. Now it’s time for a quick trip to Asia to see what architectural marvels are just waiting for you to come explore them.
1. Hiroshima Castle, Japan
Photo courtesy of Jonas Merian
Japan was once home to thousands of beautiful castles, but many of them were destroyed after the Japanese feudal system was eradicated in the late 1800s—and while the wooden Hiroshima Castle survived this period of revolution, it didn’t survive the atomic bomb blast in 1945. The castle was rebuilt in 1958, though, and now serves as a museum focused on the history of Hiroshima before the bomb hit.
2. Zigong Salt History, China
Photo courtesy of Ken Marshall
The Zigong Salt History Museum is worth visiting even if you have no interest in learning about the history of salt mining. The museum was originally built in 1736 as a guildhall for salt tradesmen to meet and discuss business. The delicate stone and wood carvings used to decorate the hall were some of the finest available at the time and were intended to be a display of wealth by the merchants.
3. Bangkok National Museum, Thailand
Photos courtesy of Flickr user marianabigail
Before it was converted into a museum in 1874, this building was once the palace of the Vice King of Thailand. At first, the museum exhibited relics from King Rama IV’s reign, but since, the museum collection has drastically expanded and it now contains exhibits from Neolithic times all the way through modern Thai history.
4. National Folk Museum, South Korea
Photo courtesy of Kwong Yee Cheng
There’s no better place to learn about the history of culture in Korea than the National Folk Museum of Korea, and there’s certainly nowhere more beautiful to learn about it as well. While the museum was established in 1945, it did not move into its present location until 1993 as the structure was previously the home of the National Museum of Korea.
5. Sursock Museum, Lebanon
Photo courtesy of Bertil Videt
Originally the home of wealthy Beirut resident and art collector Nicholas Sursock, this massive mansion was converted to a museum after Sursock’s death. The structure is considered an excellent example of Lebanese architecture, which features Venetian and Ottoman influences. Since opening in 1961, the museum has held over 100 exhibitions featuring artwork from both local and international artists.
6. Albert Hall Museum, India
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia user chetan
Opened to the public in 1887, this lovely museum was named after King Edward VII (Albert Edward), who visited the city when the foundation stone was laid in 1876. The building was originally intended to be a town hall, but when Maharaja Madho Singh II succeeded Ram Singh, he decided it should be a museum. The architecture is done in an Indo-Saracenic Revival style, which combines elements of Indio-Islamic, Indian, Gothic and Neo-Classical styles into one unique and eye-catching package.
7. ArtScience Museum, Singapore
Photo courtesy of William Cho
What does the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas have in common with this museum in Singapore? They’re both owned and operated by the Las Vegas Sands company. The lotus-shaped building, opened in 2011, is part of the chain’s Marina Bay Sands resort. The museum features 21 gallery spaces, most of which are filled with a rotating selection of touring exhibits from around the globe.
8. Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, China
There are so many wonderful architectural details in the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum that it is actually hard to find a picture that can do it any justice, but this night image by Greg Peterson does a decent job at capturing some of the larger design aspects. The massive museum, opened in 2001, is one of the most popular in China and with good reason—it really is impressive. Designed by Creative Star Digital, the museum stretches over almost 700,000 square feet of space and has 14 interactive multimedia exhibits running at any given time.
9. Macao Science Center, Macau
Photo courtesy of Sherilyn Shaine 