Shanghai Museum ( 上海博物馆 )
Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm

The outside appearance of the museum is something to behold. With a square base and round top, it is said to represent the ancient Chinese idea of a circular heaven and square land. And with that as your introduction, the museum weaves you around 11 different categories of Chinese art including paintings, calligraphy, seals, coins, bronze, ceramics, sculpture, jade, furniture and (my personal favorite) minority nationalities. So much of Chinese culture is still rooted in its ancient language, art and history and this museum, which so effortlessly comprises them all, is a “must do” for the ardent China-loving traveller.

 

 

Located at Peoples Square (人民广场), Shanghai’s main hub of politics and traffic (!), the museum is easy to get to. Take metro line 1 or 2 to People’s Square station or take a taxi to “Renmin Guangchang”.

 

 

Official website for the Shanghai Museum (In Chinese and "Engilsh")