Hotels near Shanghai Museum

The Shanghai Museum holds around 140,000 objects across bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, jade, coins, seals and furniture. The ancient bronze gallery is the strongest of its kind anywhere, running from the Shang dynasty through to the Warring States period, and the ceramics gallery traces 8,000 years of Chinese pottery in a single circuit.

The 1996 building on People's Square was designed as a ding, the round-topped, square-based ritual cooking vessel that dominates the bronze collection. Entry is free but requires advance reservation through the museum's official channels, and daily numbers are capped. A newer and much larger East branch has opened in Pudong, so check which site holds the gallery you want.

Pro Tip: Book the reservation slot several days out and pick two galleries rather than attempting all eleven. Bronzes on the ground floor and painting on the third are the two that reward a slow visit; the rest can be walked in 20 minutes.