Shanghai Museum (East Branch + People's Square Branch)
A national-level major museum positioned as a "museum of ancient Chinese art", founded in 1952; the People's Square branch, with its round ding-vessel shape, became a city landmark, and in 2024 the East Branch fully opened, doubling the space
Visitor info
- Opening hours
- 09:00-17:00 · closed Mondays
- Ticket
- Free (reservation required)
Price is indicative — final quote on inquiry.
A national-level major museum positioned as a "museum of ancient Chinese art", founded in 1952; the People's Square branch, with its round ding-vessel silhouette, became a city landmark, and in 2024 the East Branch fully opened, doubling the space. Bronzes, ceramics, and painting-and-calligraphy are its three strong suits, displayed across 21 specialized galleries: the prized Da Ke Ding, together with the Mao Gong Ding and Da Yu Ding, is celebrated as one of the "Three Treasures of the Realm"; the Tang-dynasty tracing copy of Wang Xizhi's Shangyu Tie and Huaisu's Kusun Tie are twin gems of the calligraphy collection; and the porcelain collection runs in complete sequence through the dynasties. The East Branch adds an archaeology gallery, a digital gallery, and open cultural-creative spaces, making the museum a world-class center for the study of ancient Chinese art.
Getting there: Metro Line 1/2/8, People's Square Station; Metro Line 2, Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Station (East Branch)
Photos
More in Shanghai
- Yu Garden
Ming dynasty rockeries, pavilions and the zigzag bridge of City God Temple area.
- Shanghai Tower
China's tallest building; observation deck on the 118th floor.
- Zhujiajiao Water Town
17-bridge canal town 45 km from downtown; gondolas under Ming bridges.
- The Bund
Colonial riverfront facing Pudong's sci-fi skyline; walk it at dusk both ways.
- The Bund
Shanghai's calling card and a microcosm of its modern history: a 1.5 km riverside stretch on the west bank of the Huangpu River, running north from Waibaidu Bridge (Garden Bridge) to Yan'an East Road, is lined with 52 historic buildings in Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco and other styles, collectively known as the "World Architecture Exhibition"
- Lujiazui 'Big Three' Viewing
The heart of Pudong's financial-district skyline: Shanghai Tower, at 632 m China's tallest building, rises in a twisting spiral form that reduces wind load; its 546 m "Top of Shanghai" observatory ranks among the world's highest, and on floor 125 you can see the thousand-ton damper nicknamed the "magic needle that steadies the building"