Buddhism in India, China & Southeast Asia

The Asian Civilisations Museum has just launched a new exhibition, which will be on until March 23 next year. The Nalanda Trail: Buddhism In India, China and Southeast Asia looks at the spread of Buddhism from India over the past 800 years. Many of the relics are leaving India for the first time, and highlights include a stupa containing bone relics of Buddha and a display of Buddhist art which includes paintings from the famous Dunhuang grottoes in China.

If you haven’t been to ACM yet, it really is an amazing experience so allow yourself a few hours and wear comfortable shoes. It’s spread over 11 galleries and 3 floors, covering Chinese, Indian, Islamic and Southeast Asian history and it’s very interactive, with lots of videos to watch and buttons to push. It costs $10 to get in ($5 if you’re over 60 or have a concession), but there’s lots to see and do. If you’re a bargain hunter, there’s a discount between 7pm and 9pm on Fridays. From Tuesday to Friday at 12pm there’s a guided tour of the exhibition in English.