Address: 201 renmin Rd 200003 Shanghai China
Admission Fee: CNY 20
Opening Hours: 09:30 to 17:00
Phone: +86 021 63723500
Transportation: 574, 112, 123, 71, 934, 145, 46 Subway No. 1 Tunnel No. 6
Hotels nearby: Ramada Plaza - Shanghai, the Bund Hotel - Shanghai, Park Hotel Shanghai - Shanghai.
Scenic Spots nearby: Nanjing Rd, Shanghai Xin Tian Di, People's Square.

Description

Shanghai Museum is located in the center of Shanghai in People's Square which is a large museum of ancient Chinese art. The museum style and presentation surround visitors with artifacts demonstrating ancient wisdom and philosophy. The exterior design of the round dome and the square base symbolizes the ancient idea of a round heaven and a square land.

Attractions in the Museum:
The museum includes eleven galleries and three exhibition halls: ancient Chinese bronzes, sculpture, ceramics, jades, seals, calligraphy, coin and currency, paintings, Ming and Qing-dynasty furniture, and crafts of China's national minorities. The museum often holds small-scale exhibitions and exhibits its material in museums both within China and abroad. The Shanghai Museum is arranged by theme rather than by dynasty. Though visitors have different favorites, the Bronze Gallery and the Stone Sculpture Gallery on the first floor and the Painting Gallery on the third floor are generally considered the most impressive. Each floor serves elevators, escalators, and stairways. So you can visit any exhibition what you like conveniently. There is a large gift shop on the ground floor sells museum reproductions, books, postcards, and gifts; and smaller shops on the other floors.

We begin our tour on the first floor at the Ancient Chinese Bronze Gallery, which boasts a marvelous collection of over 400 bronzes from the 18th to the 3rd centuries B.C. As a symbol of China's ancient civilization and cultural heritage, bronze artifacts have been considered as important treasures ever since the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Stepping into the gallery, visitors will feel being surrounded by a mysterious and artistic atmosphere where ancient bronze artifacts are displayed in plain and archaic wooden showcases and set off by different levels of illumination.

On the second floor, the Ceramics Gallery contains many tricolor figurines from the magnificent Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907) and delicately painted and fired pots from the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644) kilns at Jingde Zhen.

On the third floor, the Painting Gallery contains many ancient original art works on silk scrolls, including landscapes from the Ming Dynasty and Buddhist scrolls from the Tang and Song (A.D. 960-1279) dynasties.

The fourth floor has a splendid Jade Gallery, with intricately carved jade wine vessels, jewelry, and ornaments, some from as early as the Liangzhu Culture (31st-22nd c. B.C.).It is well known for the reputation of "the Country of Jade" around the world, China has a 7,000-year history of 7,000 years with jade production.

The Coin Gallery displays coins that predate the First Emperor's reign (221-207 B.C.), as well as gold coins from Persia discovered on the Silk Road. China is among the earliest countries in the world to use coins.

The Ming and Qing Furniture Gallery has elaborately carved screens inlaid with jade from the Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1644-1911), a six-poster canopy bed, and a wonderful folding wooden armchair from the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644).

The Minority Nationalities' Art Gallery shows some lovely costumes, jewelry, dioramas, and ceremonial creations from the more remote, non-Han Chinese reaches of the Chinese empire, most of them have a long history of development and reached its climax during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The bronze ware of the Shang and Zhou dynasties contribute to our understanding of ancient civilization. The over 400 pieces of exquisite bronze wares cover the history of ancient Chinese bronze art.

The ancient ceramics collection is a special treasure of Shanghai Museum. They are from various dynasties, such as painted and gray pottery from the Neolithic age, primitive celadon from the Shang, Zhou and Warring States, mature celadon from the East Han Dynasty, the well known tri-colored glazed pottery from the Tang Dynasty, blue, white and black glazed as well as painted porcelain from the Song, Jin and Liao, and the brilliant works from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, the center of the industry during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

Chinese paintings and calligraphy have profound traditions and unique national styles. Masterpieces from different periods and genres are featured. Chinese paintings have a long tradition and a unique style. The exhibition fully displays age-old tradition and profound foundation of Chinese paintings.

The Gallery of Chinese Ancient Sculpture is mainly Buddhist sculptures. Made withgold, red and black as three basic colors, the gallery is full of a warm and serious atmosphere. More than 120 specimens are put either in shrine-like showcases separated by lotus-petal shaped partitions or on open freestanding pedestals.

As a Chinese saying goes, it is better to see for oneself than to hear many times. Shanghai Museum welcomes visitors to see and enjoy Chinese culture.