Shenzhen Mid-Autumn & National Day Exhibitions 2026: Free Shows at Shenzhen Museum, Nanshan Museum & Shenzhen Art Museum

Mid-Autumn and National Day Holidays: Most Shenzhen Museums and Art Galleries Stay Open

In 2026, the Mainland Mid-Autumn holiday runs from 25 to 27 September, and the National Day holiday from 1 to 7 October. Most of Shenzhen's major museums and art galleries stay open, closing only on Mondays, and a batch of new exhibitions opens in September and October—many of them free. This article rounds up five venues in one go: which are near the border crossings, which metro station and exit to use, what's on, and opening hours.

1. Shenzhen Museum (Tongxin Road Branch · Ancient Art) — Three Free Permanent Exhibitions

• "A Galaxy on Pottery, Dazzling Handcrafts — Painted Pottery Art from the Shenzhen Museum Collection": centred on the museum's painted pottery collection, covering archaeological cultures such as Yangshao, Majiayao, Zongri, Kayue and Xindian, plus painted pottery from Shenzhen's own Xiantouling culture, Gallery 8 of the Ancient Art Building
• "A Journey of Inquiry into Ceramics — Ceramics Exhibition": 300 representative ceramic pieces (sets), from the Neolithic to the Ming and Qing dynasties—a miniature history of Chinese ceramics, Galleries 11 to 13
• "Chronicles of Bronze — Bronze Exhibition": 303 highlights from the bronze collection—ritual and musical vessels, weapons, mirrors, currency and figurines, Gallery 10
• Tickets: all free, no booking required; opening: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30), closed Mondays
• Getting there: Metro Line 9, Hongling South Station Exit A; or Metro Line 1 or Line 6, Science Museum Station Exit A

2. Shenzhen Museum (Jintian Road Branch · History and Folk Culture) — "Pets & Love: The World of Cats and Dogs"

An immersive science exhibition created jointly with Universcience of France, featuring 80 exhibits/sets plus more than 20 original French interactive science installations, grounded in animal behaviour, genetics and neuroscience: you can test cats' and dogs' jumping power, balance, speed and agility, and learn to read their behavioural signals and emotions. Great for families and pet lovers alike. Exhibition period: 30 May to 8 October 2026.

• Tickets: paid exhibition (free entry for children under 6, seniors aged 70 or above, and people with disabilities on presentation of ID)
• Buying tickets: Ctrip app / the Shenzhen Museum WeChat official account; on-site ticket machines are also available in the museum; overseas visitors can buy via Trip.com
• Getting there: Metro Line 2/Line 8 or Line 4, Civic Center Station Exit B

3. Nanshan Museum — Two Free World-Class Blockbuster Exhibitions

• "The Ocean Bears Art" — Masterpieces of Oceanian Art from the Musée du quai Branly, France: 171 precious Oceanian artefacts—canoes, ritual objects, sacred sculptures and body ornaments, Special Exhibition Hall 1 on the first floor, 15 June to 7 October
• "Skilled Hands, Restored Glory" — Exhibition on the Conservation and Use of Cultural Relics Unearthed at the Three Gorges: 361 artefacts/sets—bronzes, ironware, pottery, porcelain and palaeontological fossils, Special Exhibition Hall 2 on the second floor, 21 July to 25 October
• Tickets: free, no booking required; opening: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30), Saturday evening session 18:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30)
• Address: 2093 Nanshan Avenue, Nanshan District; getting there: Metro Line 1 or Line 12, Taoyuan Station Exit B, about a 5-minute walk

4. Shenzhen Art Museum (New Branch · Longhua) — Four New Exhibitions, All Free

• "Nanshan's Rich Collection — Works from the Zhejiang Art Museum Collection · Shenzhen Special Exhibition": four major collection systems—modern and contemporary Zhejiang painting and calligraphy, a century of the National Academy of Art, Zhejiang figure painting, and modern Zhejiang printmaking, Galleries 12 and 13 on the third floor, 5 September to 25 October
• "Sanskrit Charm, Vermilion Brush — Regong Niangben Thangka Art Exhibition": representative works of Regong thangka, Galleries 1 and 2 on the first floor, 3 September to 3 January 2027
• "Lingnan Secrets, Butterflies Dancing in Shenzhen" — Nature Macro Photography Exhibition: more than 200 macro images of local butterflies, including nationally protected species, Galleries 4 and 5 on the second floor, 29 August to 30 November
• "Peach Blossom Spring — Zhu Xinjian Art Exhibition": figures, landscapes, flowers and birds, still lifes and manuscripts, Galleries 8 and 9 on the third floor, 28 August to 25 October
• Tickets: all free, no booking required; opening: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30), closed Mondays (except public holidays)
• Getting there: Metro Line 4 or Line 6, Hongshan Station Exit A1

5. Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning (Futian) — Open Through National Day and Mid-Autumn

• Free exhibitions: Shenzhen Urban Planning Exhibition (floors 3 to 5 of the North Building, with a guided talk daily at 14:00 on open days), "The Tide Rises from the Pearl River — Exhibition Marking 40 Years of Reform and Opening Up in Guangdong" (floors 4 to 5 of the South Building), and "Shenzhen Narratives: Urban Practice of Harmonious Coexistence between People and Nature" (floor 5 of the North Building, 11 August to 31 December)
• Paid exhibitions: "A Face Like a Painting, a Soul in Lines — Pan Yuliang Art Exhibition" (floor 3 of the North Building, 25 August to 29 November) and "Archaeology of Memory — Yan Shanchun Solo Exhibition" (floor 1 of the North Building, 1 September to 19 November); tickets via the museum's WeChat official account
• Opening: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30), closed Mondays, open as normal during National Day and Mid-Autumn
• Address: 184 Fuzhong Road, Lianhua Subdistrict, Futian District; getting there: Metro Line 3 or Line 4, Children's Palace Station Exit A2, about a 300-metre walk straight to the main entrance

Mid-Autumn Day Bonus: "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon" Chinese Orchestra Gala Concert

On Mid-Autumn Day itself, 25 September, Haiya Grand Theatre hosts a "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon" Chinese orchestra gala concert bringing together eight instruments—guzheng, pipa, erhu, bamboo flute, zhongruan, Chinese drum, piano and sheng. Tickets come in four price tiers: ¥90, ¥140, ¥190 and ¥240, available via Damai or Bilibili membership. The venue is on Level L3 of Haiya Fun City, 99 Jian'an 1st Road, Bao'an District; the mall itself has plenty to eat and browse, so a late-night snack after the show is easy.

Practical Tips for Hong Kong Visitors

1. All venues close on Mondays. During the Mid-Autumn holiday from 25 to 27 September, 28 September (Monday) is a closure day—don't schedule your itinerary on the wrong date.
2. Shenzhen Museum's Tongxin Road Branch and Jintian Road Branch are two different places—one in Hongling, Luohu, and one at Civic Center, Futian. Seeing both in one day means allowing for travel time.
3. Most venues are free with no booking required, but you'll go through security; if you bring water you'll usually need to take a sip on the spot, and eating and drinking are not allowed inside.
4. For the two paid exhibitions—"Pets & Love" and the two at the contemporary art museum—buying tickets via the WeChat official account is the easiest way and saves queuing on site.
5. Shenzhen Art Museum is in Longhua, a 30 to 45-minute ride from the Luohu and Futian border crossings, so it's best combined with other things to do in the same district.

FAQ

Are all the exhibitions free?

No. The three exhibitions at Shenzhen Museum's Tongxin Road Branch, the two at Nanshan Museum, the four at Shenzhen Art Museum and the three at the contemporary art museum are all free with no booking required; only "Pets & Love" at Shenzhen Museum's Jintian Road Branch and the two art exhibitions at the contemporary art museum charge admission.

Do I need to book?

Free exhibitions generally require no booking—just walk in; for paid exhibitions, buy tickets via the WeChat official account or Ctrip. When it's busy during public holidays, venues may impose temporary crowd control, so it's best to go early.

Which venue is closest to the border crossing?

Shenzhen Museum's Jintian Road Branch (Civic Center Station) and the Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning (Children's Palace Station) are the most convenient—about 20 minutes by metro from Futian Port. Nanshan Museum is more directly reached from Shenzhen Bay Port.

Which venue is best for bringing kids?

"Pets & Love" at Shenzhen Museum's Jintian Road Branch has lots of interactive exhibits and is the most family-friendly; the exhibits at Nanshan Museum and Shenzhen Art Museum are for quiet viewing and suit older children.