Museum · SHANGHAI
Shanghai Museum
上海博物馆 · Shànghǎi Bówùguǎn
About
Premier collection of Chinese bronzes, ceramics, painting and calligraphy. Free entry (booking required), one of the most respected museums in China.
The Shanghai Museum's bronze gallery is widely considered the strongest single bronze collection outside the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The ceramics gallery covers all major Chinese kilns from Neolithic to Qing. The painting and calligraphy galleries rotate works on a quarterly schedule to protect the silk and paper. The new Shanghai Museum East branch opened in 2024 in Pudong; the original (People's Square) building remains the heart of the institution.
How to get there
Metro Lines 1, 2, 8 to People's Square.
When to visit
Weekday mornings.
Other attractions in Shanghai
Itineraries featuring this site
- Shanghai in 3 days
3d · Bund, French Concession, Pudong, Yu Garden, museums.
- Shanghai weekend — 3 days in the city
3d · Three full days in Shanghai covering the Bund, French Concession, Yu Garden, Tianzifang and Pudong — the city's distinct neighbourhoods at a pace that leaves time for coffee and wandering.
- Accessible China — mobility-friendly 7 days in Beijing and Shanghai
7d · Seven days in Beijing and Shanghai planned for visitors with mobility limitations — step-free access, English-language signage, accessible transport and accommodation notes throughout.
- Solo female — 10 days in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu
10d · Ten days across three cities chosen for safety, English-language accessibility and a good solo-travel atmosphere — with practical notes on accommodation, transport and navigating China as a solo woman.
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