Qatar Museums to Open 'Boats Floating Afar' at National Museum of Qatar in October 2026

Key facts

• 'Boats Floating Afar: The Maritime Trade of Ancient Chinese Ceramics' opens at the National Museum of Qatar in Doha on 26th October 2026.
• The exhibition brings together more than 120 objects from the National Museum of China plus a smaller selection from Qatar Museums' collections.
• It traces over 1,000 years of Chinese ceramic production and maritime trade, from the Tang to the Qing dynasties, spanning 618–1911 CE.
• The show is presented as part of the legacy of the Qatar–China 2016 Year of Culture.
• Ceramics come from production centres including Jingdezhen, Longquan, Dehua, Changsha and Yue.
• Two closing installations feature objects connected to the wreck of the Cirebon, a 10th-century ship discovered in the Java Sea, Indonesia, and Chinese pottery fragments excavated in Qatar.
• The National Museum of China hosted the National Museum of Qatar's exhibition 'On the Move' in Beijing in June 2026.
• The exhibition runs until 15th February 2027 and forms part of the Qatar Creates Fall/Winter 2026–27 season.