The Orient Museum of Lisbon is part of the so-called Fundacao Oriente (Oriental Foundation). It opened in 2008, and its collections are sheltered in a former warehouse on the Alcantara dock. Its tourist worth lies in the fact it is one of the most important resources for people who want to learn about the cultural exchanges between Portugal and Asia, especially the way these influences were delineated during the age of the great geographical discoveries onwards, as long as Portugal used to be one of the major colonial powers of Europe.
The collection showcased by this museum comprises a miscellaneous range of exhibits: works of art and artifacts gathered such as to substantiate the impact of the presence of the Portuguese on millenniums-old cultures like China, Japan, and Indonesia. Thus, we speak of ornaments, religious icons, textiles, paintings, weapons and old charts, maps and documents, ceramics, furniture, costumes and masks.
There is also a wide section called the Gods of Asia, which consists of a range of items selected from the Kwok On collection the Orient Foundation took hold of as a result of a donation.
The center which complements the museum specializes in activities related to popularizing the Asian culture in Portugal: courses in Asian cuisine, Asian performing arts (theater, dance, music).