Shanghai Museums

(Shanghai, China)



Picture of the city's Shanghai MuseumMany of Shanghai's leading museums toe the official party line, so visitors are challenged to read between the lines. The quirky Museum of Sex Culture is a controversial gem and is home to a number of rather suggestive paintings, while the Shanghai Municipal History Museum offers a true glimpse into days gone by.

Despite the following of government directives, Shanghai's museums provide a legitimate insight into the city's history and heritage, and are worth considering.


Photo showing the entrance to the Shanghai Museum

Shanghai Museum

Address: 201 Renmin Dadao, People's Square, Shanghai, China, CN
Tel: +86 021 6372 3500
Offering a chronological look at Chinese art on permanent display, the Shanghai Museum houses galleries exhibiting artefacts from the Xia, Ming and Qing dynasties. Ancient jade relics, sculptures, ceramics and bronze items are also among the more than 120,000 pieces spread out over 10 permanent exhibition areas.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Bund Museum

Address: 1 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, Shanghai, China, CN
Tel: +86 021 6321 6542
The Bund, which faces the Huangpu River, is a district with exceptional European architecture. Buildings exhibit Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and Renaissance styles. Chronicling the development of one of the most culturally rich neighbourhoods, the Bund Museum features several photographic displays and an observatory deck overlooking both the Bund area and Pudong.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 12:30
Admission: charge

Museum of Sex Culture

Address: 479 Nanjing Dong Lu, Shanghai, China, CN
Tel: +86 021 6321 6542
This risqué museum is dedicated the ever-changing morals of China. Exhibits at the Museum of Sex Culture include several ancient and modern artefacts, which clearly illustrate the country's position toward sex. Visitors can see intricate tea sets, erotic portraits, a 500-year-old fertility jar and a 1960s marriage certificate, emblazoned with a political slogan among the exhibits.
Open hours: daily - 10:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge

Shanghai Municipal History Museum

Address: Lùjiazui Lù 2, Shanghai, China, CN
Tel: +86 021 5879 3003
This first-rate museum in the basement of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Pudong celebrates the history of Shanghai, with a focus on the colonial period between 1860 and 1949. Amongst the many captivating exhibits are dioramas of the Huangpu River, the Bund, Nanjing Lu and Foreign Concessions, bringing to life the colourful street life and traditional trades of the 19th and early 20th centuries
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: charge