Sihai Teapot Museum [Photo/CRI Online]

China's long history has resulted in numerous cultural relics which are held in both public and private museums throughout the country. The 10 private museums detailed in our latest list are the finest and most famous examples of their kind in China.

Some are themed and have unique characteristics, while some hold the largest collection of their kind in the country. There is no doubt that all of them enrich the cultural life of the country and even fill the blanks left by the collections held in government-owned museums.

Top 10: Sihai Teapot Museum

The museum was founded in 1987 in Shanghai by Xu Sihai, a famous teapot collector and purple clay artist. It was the China's first private museum and was established with the aim of promoting Chinese tea culture. The museum holds more than 300 teapot relics which range from the Neolithic Period to modern times, showcasing China's long and illustrious history of teapot making.