If you are a bit green-minded, or if you just enjoy seeing thousands of erotic artifacts — from paintings of people having sex, sculptures of sexual organs, and manuals on how to do sexual intercourse — then the China Sex Museum is for you.
Located in Tongli, in the Jiangsu Province, China, it is a mere 2-hour bus trip from Shanghai.
In 2008, when I went to Shanghai with a friend, we grew tired of seeing the numerous skyscrapers and decided to go to neighboring towns. I had chosen Tongli not only because of its Sex Museum, but because it is one of the many ancient water towns in the south of the Yangtze River Delta.
A river cleaner in Tongli.
Finding the right bus at the Shanghai Stadium was a bit of a challenge, given that it was a weekday and there were not a lot of English-speaking Chinese we could ask.
In the end, it was my CouchSurfing host who gave me detailed instructions over the phone. We did find the bus, and in two hours, we were dropped off in Tongli.
China Sex Museum in Tongli
Our first stop was the Ancient Chinese Sex Culture Museum.
Cameras were unfortunately not allowed inside, but suffice to say that I have never seen so many illustrations, sculptures, stone carvings, figurines, and paintings of sexual organs and couples having sex in my entire life — all in one place, to boot!
Sweet couple in Tongli.
Afterwards, we just walked around town. Being a weekday, there were not so many tourists around and the town was a picture of tranquility.
I ate lunch by the canal, watched men and women navigate their boats around the river, observed old men playing cards and smoking cigars, and wondered at the women washing their laundry in the murky green waters of the canal.
This is Tongli, a picture of tranquility.
There were a lot of street food too, and I absolutely loved the fried pancake with egg and some meat which cost only 1RMB (7PHP).
The vendor pointed at me and spoke a lot of Chinese, but the only word I understood was “Philippine” which he repeated over and over. I just gave him a thumbs-up and smiled.
Old man by the canal in Tongli.
That day was perfect for strolling around and doing nothing, and it was a huge contrast to the ever-bustling Shanghai.
At 4pm, the bus picked us up again, and in two hours we were back in the city.
We took a bike ride from the terminal to the Sex Museum.
Would you visit Tongli?
Aleah Taboclaon is a location independent writer, editor, and the travel blogger behind Solitary Wanderer. She's partial to slow travel, and prefers extreme adventures like hiking and caving over sightseeing. She likes running (completed one marathon, training for the next!), diving (PADI open water diver), and traveling with her Kindle. Follow her on Instagram and Pinterest!
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12 Comments. Leave new
The sex museum is no longer there. I am not sure if even exists any longer. It had moved several times in the past decade. The last known location was in Tongli. Gone now.
What proved the most titillating aspect of visiting this museum?
[…] Photo via: Solitary Wanderer […]
[…] from its gardens, of which the most famous is called Tuisi, Tongli’s major attraction is the Ancient Chinese Sex Culture Museum which boasts of a collection of thousands of erotic artifacts, from paintings of people making love, […]
Sex Museum in China!, This is new to me. I understand why they have it in Amsterdam but in China very interesting..
Nawindang ako dun ha! Hehehe!!! Thanks for the post. Interesting read. Now, I wonder when will Philippines have one? Basta di na ako makakarinig ng “it is not art!” and “Blasphemy!” 😀
[…] a plan B as well, in case your plan A goes bust. When I went to Shanghai in 2008 with a friend, we couldn’t contact our Couchsurfing host (it was midnight!) from the airport and […]
[…] Street reminded me of the canals in Tongli, a water town in Suzhou. The big difference is that in Tongli, you will see and appreciate how the locals live their […]
@ ladygonzaga: have you gone to tongli?
Oh wow… a sex museum? And in such a conservative place like China? Well, it's Shanghai so it's not that surprising. XD
I'm definitely going to drop by Tong li and this sex museum if we ever get the chance to drop by China again. Not that I'm green-minded but I'm always curious about these kinds of things. 🙂 So far I've only conquered Beijing, Hong Kong, and Macau.
yes, it's not very far, and tongli is totally worth it if you want a day trip out of shanghai. 🙂
I've been to Amsterdam's Sex Museum, but hey… that's Amsterdam. But this, this is China! Very interesting. Nice post. I'll surely check it out when I get to Shanghai someday. A 2-hour bus trip doesn't seem so far.