Shanghai Museum

Unclaimed

The Shanghai Museum is a remarkable institution that showcases China's rich cultural heritage. Located in the heart of Shanghai, the museum boasts an extensive collection of over 120,000 pieces, including ancient ceramics, jade, bronze, and traditional Chinese paintings. One of its most impressive features is the museum's architecture, designed to resemble a traditional Chinese vessel, symbolizing the concept of "gathering the essence of culture." Inside, the layout is intuitive, allowing visitors to engage with exhibits that are both educational and aesthetically pleasing. The museum does an excellent job of contextualizing artifacts within China's historical timeline, enlightening visitors on the evolution of Chinese art and culture. Additionally, the museum offers a blend of ancient and contemporary exhibits, providing a comprehensive view of China's artistic legacy. Admission is free, making it accessible to a broad audience, enhancing its role as a cultural landmark in Shanghai.

We were asked to book this special exhibition to enter the museum as the free entries to the museum had already sold out. The reservation needs at least a week or two ahead to secure the free entry. If the museum is sold out, do not rush to buy like us. It was utterly crowded and noisy. You could not view a single exhibit in peace. The paid special exhibition were three galleries on ground floor. The price we paid for was a bit hefty. The Chinese galleries were awesome. Go for this if you can get the free entries.

The Egypt exhibition captivates with stunning artifacts, including intricate sarcophagi and exquisite jewelry. Immersive displays bring ancient history to life, while informative panels offer insights into daily life and burial practices. The atmosphere is enriched by ambient sounds, making it a must-see for history enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.

The Egyptian exhibition is totally worth it, especially the VR experience. But most of the other exhibits have been moved to the museum in Pudong, and only have some furnitures and clothes.

As of April 2025, the main exhibition is "The Civilization of Ancient Egyptian" special exhibition, with many permanent exhibitions relocated to the Pudong branch ("Shanghai Museum East Campus" on Google Maps), leaving only three permanent exhibition halls at the People's Square branch. That's why I spent most of time here on Egyptian exhibitions, the artifacts on display are very well curated with tools, sculptures, tablets, four thousand years old bread, and many historical pieces on display, visualizing the ancient civilization on many aspects. Notes that the names of the exhibits are available in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, but the full description or extended explanation is in Chinese, so make sure your translator app is ready. I spent about an hour at the permanent exhibitions, the displays of Chinese furniture and Chinese minorities' arts and crafts were interesting, but not on the scale that I expected to see here. The permanent exhibition is free, but I couldn't find a way to book the ticket or tell the staff that I just wanted to walk-in. I ended up booking the special exhibition for 148 CNY/person through the "上海博物馆参观预约" WeChat miniapp, just show on your phone that you booked and they will let you in the front entrance, the actual ticket validation is at the entrance of each special exhibition hall using your passport number. Even though I did not expect to see ancient Egyptian artifacts in Shanghai, I believe the special exhibition is worth the price, but this is not the place to learn about Chinese and Shanghai history. If you happen to be in the area, the alternative ones are Shanghai Historical Museum and Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, both of which are in the People's Square area (disclaimer: I have yet to visit these two).