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Best art destinations in Asia

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Moscow
A grand city of history and power
8.2
The Tretyakov Gallery is older than the Eiffel Tower and holds Russian art from icons to modern paintings. The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts has works by Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso. Metro stations like Komsomolskaya have chandeliers, mosaics and painted ceilings. Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Gorky Park uses a former Soviet restaurant.
Highlights:
  • 🪆 See Lenin’s Mausoleum and explore Soviet history
  • 🕍 Tour the Kremlin and its impressive cathedrals
  • 🏰 Admire St. Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square
Saint Petersburg
Where history and elegance meet
8.4
Catherine the Great began the Hermitage collection in 1764 by buying 225 paintings from a Berlin merchant. Today it fills the Winter Palace and nearby buildings with work by Rembrandt and Picasso. The Russian Museum has Repin's Barge Haulers and many Russian icons. Long white nights in June keep the canals bright past midnight.
Highlights:
  • ⛪ Visit the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood
  • ⛴️ Cruise the canals and admire St. Petersburg’s pastel architecture
  • 🖼️ Marvel at the grand art collections inside the Hermitage Museum
Naoshima
Art museums on a Seto Inland Sea island
9.3
Chichu Art Museum is built mostly underground and lit by daylight from above. It shows five Monet water lily paintings in a white room. A yellow pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama waits on a pier by the sea. Ferries from Uno reach this small island in about twenty minutes.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Ride the scenic ferry to Teshima for tranquil views
  • 🎨 Stroll through Chichu Art Museum's underground galleries
  • 🏞️ Explore Naoshima's art islands, visit Benesse House
Istanbul
Where East meets West in stunning contrast
8.7
On the Bosphorus shore at Karaköy, a building by Renzo Piano holds Istanbul Modern. Its galleries show Turkish art from the early 1900s to today. Topkapı Palace shows Ottoman tiles, calligraphy and painted manuscripts. The Istanbul Biennial fills old halls and warehouses with new art every two years.
Highlights:
  • 👑 Explore the opulent Topkapi Palace and its imperial treasures
  • 🚤 Cruise along the Bosphorus between Europe and Asia
  • 🕌 Admire the grand Hagia Sophia’s domes and mosaics
Seoul
Where Tradition Meets High-Tech Marvels
8.6
The smell of ink and brewed tea drifts through the alleys of Insa-dong. Galleries and shops there sell brushes, ceramics, paper and calligraphy. Leeum Museum of Art shows Korean ceramics beside modern and contemporary art. Frieze Seoul brings international galleries to the COEX centre each September.
Highlights:
  • 🌇 Admire Seoul’s skyline from N Seoul Tower at sunset
  • 🛍️ Shop and eat street food in bustling Myeongdong
  • 🏯 Explore Gyeongbokgung Palace and watch the royal guard ceremony
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
9.7
Mori Art Museum stays open until 10 pm on most days so evening visits are easy. It is on the 53rd floor of Roppongi Hills with wide views. teamLab Planets in Toyosu has rooms where visitors walk barefoot through water. Ueno Park has the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art.
Highlights:
  • 🖼️ Visit the teamLab digital art museum
  • 🌆 Enjoy panoramic city views from observation decks
  • 🍣 Savour sushi at a local eatery
Beijing
Ancient history meets modern dynamism
8.9
The 798 Art Zone fills electronics factories built in the 1950s. Artists moved in during the early 2000s and turned the halls into galleries. The Palace Museum in the Forbidden City holds imperial paintings, ceramics and bronzes. UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in 798 shows work by leading Chinese and global artists.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Explore the Summer Palace’s gardens and lakeside pavilions
  • 🧱 Climb the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu
  • 🏯 Walk across Tiananmen Square and visit the Forbidden City
Abu Dhabi
Modern luxury meets rich traditions
8.8
The dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi is a web of metal stars that casts moving light below. It opened in 2017 on Saadiyat Island and shows art from many cultures side by side. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in this city has white marble courtyards with floral inlay.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Admire world-class art at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
  • 🏜️ Take a thrilling desert safari at sunset
  • 🕌 Marvel at the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Hong Kong
Where East Meets West
9.3
Incense smoke from Man Mo Temple drifts past the antique dealers on Hollywood Road. Tai Kwun, a former police station, is now an arts centre with galleries. M+ in West Kowloon shows art, design, architecture and moving image from Asia and beyond. Art Basel Hong Kong fills the convention centre each March.
Highlights:
  • 🥢 Shop and eat street food in Mong Kok’s bustling markets
  • ⛴️ Sail across Victoria Harbour on the iconic Star Ferry
  • 🌇 Ride the Peak Tram and admire skyline views from Victoria Peak
Shanghai
A dazzling mix of modernity and tradition
9.0
The West Bund runs along the Huangpu River and has art museums in old industrial sites. Tank Shanghai uses former oil tanks as galleries. Power Station of Art fills a former power plant and hosts the Shanghai Biennale. West Bund Art and Design fair fills the riverside each November.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Wander through Yu Garden and explore its traditional pavilions
  • 🏙️ Take the world’s fastest elevator to Shanghai Tower’s observation deck
  • 🌃 Admire Shanghai’s skyline from The Bund promenade at night
Jaipur
The Pink City of Royal Splendor
7.5
Winter from November to February brings cool dry days for walking the old city. The City Palace museum shows royal clothes, weapons and Rajput miniature paintings. The Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing in Amer shows how wooden blocks print patterns on cloth. Workshops make this city's blue pottery, glazed in cobalt and turquoise.
Highlights:
  • 💍 Watch city life unfold at the bustling Johari Bazaar
  • 🐘 Explore the majestic Amber Fort and ride an elephant uphill
  • 🌅 Marvel at the Hawa Mahal’s pink lattice windows at sunrise
Kyoto
Temples, geisha districts and kaiseki dining
9.2
Tea hosts here whisk powdered green tea in bowls chosen for the season. Kyoto National Museum holds paintings, swords and Buddhist sculpture from across Japan. Nishijin weavers still make silk brocade in a district of small workshops. The rock garden at Ryoan-ji has fifteen stones but only fourteen show from any one spot.
Highlights:
  • ⛩️ Climb the vermillion torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine
  • 🍱 Experience Japan’s beautifully presented Kaiseki dining at a traditional restaurant
  • 🎋 Stroll through the magical Arashiyama bamboo forest early in the morning
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