Shanghai History Museum (Shanghai Lishi Bowuguan)
The Basics
The Shanghai History Museum boasts a 105,486-square-foot (9,800-square-meter) exhibition space consisting of an east building, a west building, and a courtyard. The permanent collection is housed in the east building, organized in rough chronological order from bottom to top, while the west building is reserved for special exhibitions and a public education zone.
More than 80% of the displayed material is on view to the public for the first time ever. In addition to standard displays, the museum also uses interactive multimedia displays to tell the story of Shanghai.
Things to Know Before You Go
The Shanghai History Museum offers free admission.
Audio guides are available for rent.
The museum is wheelchair and stroller accessible; both are provided free of charge.
Free Wi-Fi and phone-charging stations are available throughout the museum.
How to Get There
The Shanghai History Museum is located at People’s Square. By metro, take line 1, 2, or 8 to People’s Square (exit 11). Or take bus 46, 71, 112, 123, 145, 916, 925, or Tunnel Line 6 and get off at People’s Square Station.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
The museum is open daily, except for Mondays (unless it’s a public holiday), from 9am to 5pm, with the last admission at 4pm. Only 10,000 visitors are allowed per day, with no more than 3,000 allowed in the building at a time, so plan to arrive earlier in the day to guarantee admission.
Museum Highlights
Don’t miss the glamorous wedding sedan chair from the early 20th century, which took 10 wood-carving artists 10 years to complete. Other museum highlights include a 19th-century rickshaw, a cannon used during the Opium War, Ming Dynasty imperial robes, and the collection of ancient pottery and stones from local dig sites. Children will enjoy the interactive exhibits, where they can design their own pottery or qipao (traditional Chinese dress) using digital projections.
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