The following is a list of significant collections of Chinese art that are well-represented online. It is not comprehensive, other museums with important holdings that are NOT reflected online have been omitted. For a complete list based on quantitative figures, see here.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Met’s Asian art collection dates back to the founding of the museum in 1870, their collection contains more than 60,000 pieces and is housed in its own wing of the museum. The MMA has a comprehensive collection of Chinese painting that is renowned for its calligraphy and landscapes.

The British Museum, London
The scope of the Department of Asia is extremely broad, its collections of over 75,000 objects covers the material culture of the whole Asian continent (from East, South, Central and South-East Asia) and from the Neolithic up to the present day. Highlights include: an outstanding collection of Chinese antiquities, paintings, and porcelain, lacquer, bronze, jade, and other applied arts. Buddhist paintings from Dunhuang and the Admonitions Scroll by Chinese artist Gu Kaizhi (344–406 AD).

Victoria and Albert Museum, United Kingdom
The Museum possesses one of the most comprehensive and important collections of Chinese art dating from 3000 BC to the present time. Magnificent textiles, exquisite porcelain and elegant furniture are among the many treasures of the finest quality and design. The V&A museum also offers an introduction to its collection in Chinese. 看中文版－－V&A中国收藏

Freer-Sackler Museum, Washington DC
The Freer Gallery in 1923 was the first Smithsonian museum devoted to the fine arts; later, in 1932, it set another precedent when the gallery hired a Japanese restorer of art works to work full time conserving the East Asian Collections. This was the first time scientific methods were used in conserving art in the Smithsonian.  I estimate complete collection of the the F+S Galleries to be around 30,000; the majority of their holdings are Japanese and Chinese, the Chinese collection has more than 10,000 works, ranging from Neolithic periods to the present with more than 11,000 Japanese holdings. Currently, 8,000 works can be browsed online in their collection databases, the Chinese art objects found totaled 3,000.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Massachusetts)
In the MFA’s database, an estimated 8,000 works are classified as from the Chinese culture. These include extensive textiles and stone sculpture from China, numbering into 8,000. The complete collection of Chinese paintings and calligraphy is not yet online, although, online records of their Chinese collection are continuously updated.

Nelson-Atkins Museum, Kansas City (Missouri)
With more than 7,500 works of high quality, the Chinese collection comprises masterpieces from every historical stage and in every medium of China’s artistic activity – from Neolithic times to the 20th century. The N-A’s Chinese collection includes more then 7,500 objects, spanning the Neolithic era to the 20th century. Within the Chinese collection itself, they boasting an exceptional collection of Ming furniture.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland (Ohio)
Highlights of the Cleveland Museum of Art are many, its largest holdings are in Chinese art, Decorative Arts, European art and Medieval art, although its collection is known for high quality works overall.  From browsing the database, it appears that Cleveland has a substantial collection of Song dynasty paintings, with many fine holdings from the Ming-Qing era. A noteworthy, rather recent (2004) addition to their Song dynasty collection of paintings is the “Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes” an ink on paper album with 50 leaves that dates to the Southern Song. CMA database entries can be viewed in detail for a new angle on appreciating the works, use the “zoom” feature to see super close.

The Art Institute of Chicago (Illinois)
The Art Institute’s distinguished Asian collection comprises works spanning nearly five millennia from China, Korea, Japan, India, southwest Asia, and the Near and Middle East. It includes 35,000 objects of great archaeological and artistic significance, including Chinese bronzes, ceramics, and archaic jades; Chinese and Japanese textiles.

The Art Museum, Princeton University (New Jersey)
Chinese art and archeological objects have long figured prominently in the Princeton University collection. The Princeton Art Museum lists Chinese art as one of its greatest strengths, with significant bronzes, tomb figures, painting and calligraphy. The Chinese collection has more then 6,000 objects ranging from the Neolithic era to the contemporary age. Featuring historical background, scholarly essays, interactive timelines and art work depictions, the site features the arts of China, Japan, Korea, South Asia and Southeast Asia, with great prominence given to China. The site features interactive historical maps, in-depth introductions on major historical eras throughout China’s history and are fully illustrated with corresponding artworks from the University collection.

Guimet Museum, Paris
The Guimet Museum (French: Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet or Musée Guimet) is a museum of Asian art located in Paris, France. It has one of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia. The Chinese Department of the Musée Guimet includes some 20 000 objects covering seven millennia of Chinese art, from the earliest times up until the 18^th century.The archeological section opens with jades and ceramics from the Neolithic period and continues with major bronze works from the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Peabody Essex Museum, Salem (Massachusetts)
Although the collection of objects at the Peabody Essex might be small, they boast the very eloquent YinYu Tang: the home of a wealthy Anhui merchant built in the Qing dynasty that has been completely restored and relocated in Salem. An amazing technical feat, and with an interesting web introduction, the site is worth a look.