Musée national des arts asiatiques - Guimet

The National Museum of Oriental Arts is not only a museum, but also a cultural center, where lectures, film screenings and workshops on ancient art and the living tradition of the East are regularly held, attracting about three hundred thousand visitors a year. The Guimet Museum is directly connected with the philanthropist Emile Guimet, who helped to assemble a collection dedicated to the religions of Egypt, Asia and antiquity. To realize this dream, he undertook a number of trips, visiting Greece, Egypt, and in 1876 went on a trip around the world with stops in Japan, China and India, from where he brought back unique artifacts. His collection was at the heart of the museum. In 1927, the collection of the Indochina Museum, which included masterpieces of Khmer art, joined the Gime collection. In the 1930s, the funds were replenished with rich gifts from the French Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan, which brought, in particular, the famous Bagram treasures, combining the influences of Indian, Greco-Roman and Chinese cultures. In 1945, the Guimet Museum transferred its Egyptian collection to the Louvre, receiving in return its Department of Asian Art. Currently, the museum houses tens of thousands of exhibits representing the arts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, China, Korea, India and Japan. Among the gems of the collection are vivid examples of Gandhara art, where the Buddha image first appeared, the pediment of the famous temple, clay statues from the Kuchi monasteries, as well as many objects of Chinese art spanning seven millennia of history.

Nice museum with a diverse collection. I learned a lot about the history of manga. I just wish it had better ventilation. The entire museum smells like the restaurant on the ground floor, which doesn't seem good for the antiquities. It also felt very stuffy even though it wasn't particularly crowded. It would also be nice if there was a Filipino section among the Southeast Asian antiquities.

The Musée National des Arts Asiatiques houses one of the largest collections of Asian art in all of Europe, with particularly strong holdings in Cambodian Khmer and Vietnamese art. I really enjoyed exploring the collection — it’s truly first-rate and well worth a visit for anyone interested in Asian art and history.

Way too easily ignored when you travel in Paris, and yet : what a collection. It’s way smaller in size than most museum in Paris, but it also make it way less crowded which is a big big plus. There is an Asian joint in the museum that I also recommend, and it’s a very nice stop to do before or after the Arc de Triomphe.

Guimet museum showcases the greatness of Sanaatan Dharm, and its impact on the Asian culture. At the main entrance, you are welcomed by the giant four-faced moorti of Bhagwaan Brahma. There are numerous beautiful moortis of Bhagwaan Vishnu, Bhagwaan Shiv, and Bhagwaan Buddh from various parts of Asia - India, Japan, Korea, china etc - on all the floors. The most mesmerizing moorti is on the ground floor, which shows Bhagwaan Vishnu resting on Anant Sheshnaag. You also get a lovely view of the Eiffel tower while having lunch at the terrace. Great museum, 10/10, would visit again.

A beautifully laid out museum - easy to follow and see the changes between ages and nations - how art and culture developed and changed, where East & West meet at Gandhara. What lessons we could learn today about living alongside each other, sharing beliefs and growing together.

I visited the Musée Guimet in Paris a few days ago and was truly impressed. The collection of Asian art is extensive and deeply atmospheric—many of the pieces felt like they carried a spiritual energy. I’m not usually superstitious, but there was something powerful and even a little eerie about the experience that stayed with me. The highlight at the end? The terrace on the top floor has an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower. Totally worth the visit—for both the art and the unexpected moments.

A fascinating museum showcasing rich stories from across Asia. The exhibitions are thoughtfully curated, well-organized, and provide a meaningful space for cultural exchange.

Great museum dedicated to Asian art and sculptures across the entire continent. My only wish was that there were more English posters because 99% of the museum was in French WHICH I GET. So make sure you have google lens downloaded so you can translate everything yourself. Tickets were very affordable and it's worth a look!

This Asian art museum is worth the visit and a nice change of pace after the other museums. This museum is less focused on the painting and art work and more focused on sculptures and ever day items from the regions in Asian. Which is a nice change of pace if you are museum hoping in Paris.

We always visit the Guimet when in Paris for its great collection of Asian Art. This time we were lucky to be just in time for the temporary exhibition "On the Tokaido Road", an extensive collection of 200 beautiful Japanese prints by Hiroshige and many other artists depicting the myriad scenes and spectacular landscapes on this important coastal road from the Edo period. An amazing collection rarely seen all in one place.

Having the Carte Musee for five days to gain entry into numerous museums without paying extra, maintains a budget. Musée Guimet is a good size museum primary focusing on Asian art and history with a strong presence in contributions to civilize a modern world.

A gorgeous museum in Paris which also doubles as a function hall. We held a big event here and it was a lovely place to hold the event surrounded by history. It's classy spacious and catering was also excellent. Founded by Émile Étienne Guimet, an industrialist, the museum first opened at Lyon in 1879 but was later transferred to Paris, opening in the place d'Iéna in 1889. Devoted to travel, Guimet was in 1876 commissioned by the minister of public instruction to study the religions of the Far East, and the museum contains many of the fruits of this expedition, including a fine collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and many objects relating not merely to the religions of the East but also to those of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. One of its wings, the Panthéon Bouddhique, displays religious artworks. If this kind of thing interests you it's well worth a visit. Plenty of things to see from the Far East. We only visited one section of this museum but would love to come back and browse more.

A relatively quiet Asian Art museum. Nicely designed on the inside. I went for the Pharrell exhibit with Mr. and stayed for the rest. The Pharrell exhibit was a huge statement on current culture (our obsession with phones and guns, both of which seem excessive and disposable). Classrooms are in disarray with artwork drawn and carved into disorderly desks and people posing everywhere around the room (the people taking selfies were real, by the way). Not certain they had this in mind when they planned the room. Graffiti was everywhere and it was chaotic and uncomfortable with a giant canvas drop cloth covering the floor. Great job guys!!

The Musée Guimet: the quickest route to Asia! From 1889, when it was established by Emile Guimet, to the present day, the museum has continued to add to and diversify its collections. Presenting 5 thousand years of Asian art, time has not stopped at the Musée Guimet: you will be surprised at times to come across works by contemporary artists in the pared back, sobre and sleek design of the museum's exhibition spaces. From Buddhas from Afghanistan to the Zen monks of Japan, from Indian fabrics to Samurai armour, and from Khmer treasures to Chinese fine art, the Musée Guimet offers unique collections which provide the opportunity to go on a meditative, aesthetic and explorative journey to the heart of Asia. Magnificently renovated in contemporary style, it is the largest European museum devoted to Asian art.

The higher up you go in the building, the less impressive it becomes. Southeast Asia on the ground floor is fantastic, because the items are mainly thefts from former French colonies (Cambodia, Vietnam). The statues on the first floor (Tibet, China) are quite beautiful. The second floor (China, Japan, Korea) is kind of a joke compared to the National Palace Museum in Taipei and similarly-Asia-focused museums.

This massively overlooked museum is definitely worth seeking out on a trip to Paris (it's included on the parisian museums entrance cards). There is a huge treasure trove of beautiful pieces here from Japanese paintings to huge sculptures of budda and various goddesses. It's a fascinating insight into Asian art and absolutely wonderful, I'd recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat

Absolutely wonderful, exhaustive museum of Asian art that covers China, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia - all of Southeast Asia. The collection is one of the largest outside of Asia. This is another MUST-SEE for art-loving visitors to Paris: a huge museum with thousands of items spread over three (and a half) floors, organized by country/region. Not every one of the Southeast Asian countries is covered extensively, but most are. There's too much to see for just one visit - so if you have time for a second one, come back. I didn't, so I spent 3.5 hours in there, and I didn't see everything. Plus, there is usually one temporary exhibition as well. Wikipedia: "Founded by Émile Étienne Guimet, an industrialist, the museum first opened at Lyon in 1879 but was later transferred to Paris, opening in the place d'Iéna in 1889. Devoted to travel, Guimet was in 1876 commissioned by the minister of public instruction to study the religions of the Far East, and the museum contains many of the fruits of this expedition, including a fine collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and many objects relating not merely to the religions of the East but also to those of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. One of its wings, the Panthéon Bouddhique, displays religious artworks." The museum is also referred to as "Musée national des arts asiatiques." The address is 6 Place d'Iéna, 75116 Paris, Frankreich (+33 1 56 52 53 00). The Métro, Line 9, stops just outside (Station: "Iéna") - You can also use Line 6 and depart from "Boissière," then it's a short walk. A cloakroom, a shop and a café are all part of museum. Just have a look at my photos to get a tiny teensy view of the splendor that awaits you at Musée Guimet.

My absolute favourite museum in the world. I could explore the arts and civilizations of Asia for eons. Wish I had more time and I wish I could return yearly. Think about it, tourists of Paris, a Museum of Asia!! Asia- the largest ,most diverse continent! I hope you visit Musee Guimet. You WILL be impressed.

As i like asian art and history Musée Guimet was expected on my Paris travel list... The permanent collection had several unique pieces and there was a nice temporary exhibition when we visited it. Despite the pieces we were cool off by the staff: from the girl chi-chatting at the entrance to the guards who closed an exhibition area for "lunch pause" !! Not to mention the "not speak english" explaination from theim... So i recommend to visit it in the afternoon because several moulding worth a look

There is some very interesting artwork at this museum and the building itself (like most other Parisian buildings) is beautiful. There are some vast displays of Asian art and many of the pieces are quite stunning!

I'd have never guessed Paris to have such an extensive Asian art museum but I guess I was wrong - the vast majority of museums in Paris are impressive and this one was no exception. Nice layout, great lighting, good collection spanning from Japan to China to India. Worth the visit largely for the statues and jewelry, less so for the painting.

Rude staff and security, they don't accept normal credit cards, and they exploit visitors by charging full price for small temporary exhibitions.

If you are wondering about art in Asia in France this is the place. Scarcely anyone in this fairly large museum. People don't know what they are missing. A great collection, especially in regards to the Khymer era. Spent over 4 hours there!