Shanghai Museum, Shanghai (must see)

To get a thorough look at some of the world's best-preserved and exquisite Chinese artifacts, you should visit the Shanghai Museum. It has been open since 1952 and boasts an impressive collection of ancient Chinese art, consisting of nearly one million exhibits spanning over 5,000 years, from China's Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty.

The museum's architecture resembles an ancient Chinese "ding" pot, and its layout draws inspiration from traditional Chinese cosmology, where a square base symbolizes earth and a rounded roof represents heaven. Inside, you'll find ten permanent exhibitions and three rotating international exhibitions. The items are well-displayed, allowing visitors to take photos without needing a flashlight.

After a roughly 15-minute wait for security clearance, you are free to explore the museum at your own pace, although your actual visit time might be limited due to a tight schedule. The museum offers guided tours and audio guides for those who prefer independent exploration.

According to the museum brochure, there are nearly 130,000 pieces of national treasures across 21 categories, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, paintings, jade and ivory works, bamboo and lacquer wares, oracle bones, seals, coins, and artifacts from various ethnic minorities.

One of the museum's highlights is the ground-floor bronze gallery, featuring artifacts dating back to 2200 BC. This early period of Chinese art may not be familiar to many visitors, making these exhibits seem less visually appealing. However, the diversity of shapes and craftsmanship demonstrates the advanced technology of ancient China.

On the first floor, the ceramics gallery proudly displays pieces from nearly every era of Chinese history, while the second-floor painting gallery showcases incredibly realistic depictions of animals, especially birds.

The top floor houses a colorful and striking gallery dedicated to various Chinese ethnic minorities, challenging the perception of China as a homogeneous culture. Next door on the same floor is an exhibition of Ming- and Qing-period furniture, which proves more interesting than one might expect.

Tip:
Clean bathrooms on each floor, a tea house on the 2nd floor, and before leaving the museum, don't forget to check out the on-site bookstore for a wide choice of beautiful books on China, in case you're interested in any!