Welcome to the Asian Civilisations Museum

Our ground floor galleries tell the tale of more than a thousand years of maritime trade within Asia and between Asia and the rest of the world. The story begins with the Tang shipwreck in the Kutek Puat Gallery, where we display more than 1,000 pieces of sunken treasure found in a ship that was wrecked more than a thousand years ago. The story continues with our Singapore Archaeology Gallery, where we display treasure that was buried and found right here under the soil at Empress Place. Our Maritime Trade Galleries display porcelain, paintings, furniture and other forms of highly desired objects that were made in China, Japan and Southeast Asia for export to the rest of the world. This narrative continues in the Court and Company Galleries, where we display the same kinds of luxury goods and objects of desire that were made for export in India and in Sri Lanka. Finally, our Contemporary Art space displays changing, large-scale contemporary art installations inspired by our collection. So be sure to check out this space before you head up to the second floor.