The 1911 Revolution Museum

Geometric red building, “Foundation of the Republic” exhibition on the history of the 1911 Revolution. The 1911 Revolution Museum on the south side of Shouyi Square echoes the city's memory of “uprising red” with its huge geometric red facade, its sloping walls rising like boulders breaking out of the ground to symbolize the collapse of imperial rule. Inside, the “Foundation of the Republic — History of the 1911 Revolution” exhibition combines artifacts, recreated scenes and multimedia, narrating from the eve of the Wuchang Uprising to the founding of the Republic, with a systematic display of weapons, uniforms and original proclamations used by the insurgent army; the reconstructed ammunition depot and ordinary soldiers' quarters in the basement let you feel firsthand the tense pace of the night of the uprising. It complements the Red Building (former site of the insurgent military government) across the road — one new, one old — and visiting both gives a complete picture of the 1911 Revolution. Free (reservation required).

Getting there: Shouyi Square