For centuries Shanghai has been a vibrant meeting point between East and West, leading to a rich heritage of art, history and culture that has been preserved in the city’s numerous museums. We round up a selection of the quirkiest, biggest and best museums to visit on your next trip.
Shanghai Museum
To get a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, head over to the Shanghai Museum. Opened in 1952, it holds one of the largest collections of ancient Chinese art in the country with around one million pieces. There are ten permanent galleries and three temporary exhibition spaces. You’ll find precious relics, bronzes, ceramics, paintings, calligraphy and more. Seeing everything is impossible – if you’re pressed for time, take the two-hour Masterpiece Journey, which highlights the ten must-see items in each room.
Open Tue-Sun 9am to 4pm; free admission; 201 Renmin Da Dao; shanghaimuseum.net
Peace Museum
Nestled in the crowded Bund area is a “peaceful” sanctuary for reflection. Located on the first floor wing of the grand Fairmont Peace Hotel, the Peace Museum holds an intriguing collection of artefacts from the hotel’s long history. The iconic grand dame has been standing for almost a century, first as The Cathay Hotel in the 1930s and 40s, renamed The Peace Hotel from the 1950s, and now the restored Fairmont Peace Hotel, which opened in 2010.
On display is a collection of silverware, porcelain, crystal and antiques that once decorated the rooms and halls, along with newspaper clippings and photographs of the hotel through the ages, plus details of celebrity guests, old room records and advertising brochures from back in the day. The artefacts bring the hotel’s past to life and give visitors a sense of Shanghai through the 20th century.
Open daily 10am to 7pm, closed on public holidays; free admission; 20 Nanjing Road East; fairmont.com
Sun Yat-sen’s Former Residence
From ancient art to the birth of modern China, those with an interest in historical figures should head over to a leafy, European-style villa at 7 Xiangshan Road in the French Concession. The grand residence is the former home of Sun Yat-sen, the “founding father” of the Republic of China, who lived here with his wife from 1918 until his death in 1925. The house has been intimately preserved with the furniture and everyday items Sun once used, and is designated as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level. From beds and sofas to handwriting utensils and kitchenware, guests can enjoy a rare peek into the life of one of the most important leaders in Chinese history.
Open daily 9am to 4pm; tickets RMB20 (US$3); 7 Xiangshan Road, Luwan District
China Art Museum
If you are one of the ten million people reported to have visited World Expo 2010
in Shanghai, you’ll remember the enormous red pavilion that housed it. After the Expo, the structure was converted and reopened as the China Art Museum, now one of the largest art museums in Asia. The 64,000 sqm space has around 10,000 contemporary artworks that explore different Chinese elements, from a commentary on the social revolution in China through to specific chronicles of Shanghai’s development, as told through people, historical events, folk customs and architecture.
Open Tue-Sun 10am to 5pm; free admission or RMB20 (US$3) for special exhibitions; 205 Shangnan Road, Pudong New District; artmuseumonline.org
MOCA
Unlike the giant museums, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is very subtle. Surrounded by trees, the former greenhouse is hidden within People’s Park. The glass-fronted gallery partners with top artists and institutions to bring different contemporary art pieces to the city. Past exhibitions include the 6th Animamix Biennale, with artists from all over China exploring the virtual and real world through animation, comics and games. Don’t forget to visit the rooftop terrace to enjoy stunning 360-degree views of lush greenery and Shanghai’s historic buildings.
Open Sun-Thu 10am to 6pm, Fri and Sat 9am to 7pm; free admission, special exhibition tickets from RMB50 (US$7.5); Gate 7, People’s Park, 231 West Nanjing Road; mocashanghai.org
Shanghai Museum of Glass
For something a little bit more niche, you’ll need to venture into the industrial zone to the site of a former glassware factory. Renovated and reopened in 2011, the Shanghai Museum of Glass is a quirky, edgy and beautiful ode to the art of glass making. You’ll be given an introduction to the history of glass making, be dazzled by creative, avant-garde pieces, and get lost in the dark, reflective maze of glass. There are also ten DIY courses, from flame working to glass blowing and painting (booking in advance is required).
Open Tue-Fri 9.30am-5pm, Sat and Sun until 6pm; tickets RMB60 (US$8.8);
685 West Chang Jiang Road, Baoshan District; shmog.org
Shanghai Auto Museum
If you appreciate the beauty of a classic automobile, this is the museum for you. China’s first professional car museum, it opened in 2007 and boasts a collection of nearly 100 iconic motors from history. Highlights include the “first automobile” – an 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen – and an American Auburn 851 Speedster from 1935. There are also interactive elements, with driving simulation, parts identification puzzles and a racing game.
Open Tue-Sun 9.30am to 4pm; tickets RMB60 (US$8.8); 7565 Shanghai Anting Bo Road; old-en.shautomuseum.gov.cn
Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum
A testament to Shanghai’s lesser-known role as an asylum for Jewish refugees during World War II can be found at the Jewish Refugee Museum, built on the site of the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue in Hongkou district. Japanese-occupied Shanghai wasn’t a particularly pleasant experience – refugees lived in the squalid area surrounding the mosque known as the “Shanghai Ghetto” – but it was certainly an escape compared to the tragedies taking place in Europe. The museum charts the life of the Shanghai Jews, with plaques dedicated to notable individuals such as Ho Feng Shan, the “Chinese Schindler”, who heroically used his position as the Consul General in Vienna to issue thousands of visas to Jews escaping Nazi-occupied Austria.
Open daily 9am to 5pm; tickets RMB20 (US$3); 62 Changyang Road, Hongkou;
tel +86 21 6512 6669
