This is a late, late, very late post. And I almost didn’t bother writing it, but while I was clearing out my memory card, I saw a whole bunch of photos and remembered that Shanghai Museum was one of my favorite places to see in Shanghai, and so obviously I need to share a bit here on the blog.
Now, I’m generally not so gung-ho into museums, so if I say Shanghai Museum is well-worth a couple of hours, it means it’s really worth visiting. Plus, it’s centrally located in People’s Square; there’s no reason not to visit it.
What can I see there?
The museum is huge, with about four floors stocked with Chinese cultural treasures – a whole lot of calligraphy, some exquisite jade, Chinese pottery, ancient bronze, and so much more. Basically, if you are even a little bit interested in art and history, you should visit the place.
Chinese pottery
Remarkably well-preserved ceramic plate 
Chipped and broken but the colors are fabulous
When I think of Chinese art, one of the first things that comes to mind is the decorative white porcelain pottery and there are several hundred of these bowls and urns on display. Each piece seems to tell a story, as well as showcasing how porcelain art evolved during the ages.
A typical blue and white style of pottery 
Blue and white pottery with a variation – a fiery dragon
Chinese paintings
On the second floor, there are more glories. Paintings from the Tang and Song dynasty times, leaves and hand scrolls, masterpieces such as the Eight Noble Monks by Liang Kai and Misty River and Mountains by Wang Shen, as well as works by masters of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
It was impossible to get photos of the paintings. The lighting was a weird yellow light, and the paintings were all covered in glass resulting in a reflective effect.
I just did the best I could 😔 .
A beautiful bird 
Exquisite, but very, very hard to photograph
Chinese Ming and Qing furniture gallery
The furniture gallery showcases the spare, clean lines of Ming dynasty furniture, as well as the more baroque influence of the Qing era. All the pieces displayed are original pieces, and it was enchanting to see them displayed just as if they were in regular rooms.
Chinese minority nationalities’ art gallery
This room contained art work and pottery that’s slightly different from the mainstream Chinese ones we saw.
Jade, currency, calligraphy, and seals
I am clubbing all these categories together just because I don’t have any decent pictures of them. In reality, there is a separate room for each of these. Snubnose was most impressed by the calligraphy (they are beautiful), while I loved the jade and was intrigued by the currency (especially the gold Persian coins from the Silk Road).
Overall thoughts
Like I said earlier, museums are not really my thing. Maybe that’s because I have been to some really boring ones (school trips as a kid, and museums in general in India are very dusty and poorly maintained). But my experience here at the Shanghai museum (and earlier in the Egyptian museum) are causing me to change my mind.
I highly recommend spending a couple of hours in Shanghai museum if you are visiting the city. It’s well worth it. Although now with the coronavirus going viral, I am not sure when things will be safe to visit 😟 .
I quite like the idea of visiting museums because it gives a great insight into the culture and history of a place. Shanghai museum is very nice. Love the paintings, potteries and furniture. I also admire the Art that you have showcased here.
I missed Shanghai museum when I visited Shanghai due to lack of time. But this really looks interesting as it has wonderful collection of Chinese pottery. Being an artist, I would love to check Chinese paintings section and calligraphy works too. It is really wonderful place to know more about China’s art and culture.
Museums are not my thing either, probably because of similar reasons like yours. Too many museum visits as a kid, has ruined museums for me. However, I do like to visit unique Museums every now and then, as i believe they are the best source to visually learn something, or to visually travel through history.Moreover, I prefer those museums where I can hire a tour guide or get an audio guide, as just walking around makes no sense to me.
Yes, I didn’t have a tour guide or audio guide for the Shanghai museum, but all the displays were well catalogued, and detailed information was provided.
But yes, in other musuems, I love to have a guide that will help me understand what I am seeing.
I love decorative porcelain! I just think of the talent and the details that were involved in creating the pottery (art). This museum defiantly looks worth the visit! I believe your right that each piece does in fact tell a story of history and culture evolving through the ages. I really am glad that you were able to capture some of the art pieces to allow us to get a sample of the mystery and beauty that this place holds. Thank you for sharing!
I have always been fascinated by Chinese pottery, and it was great to see the work. They are truly intricate and beautiful!
We were glad we did not miss the Shanghai Museum when we were in Shanghai. We only had a few hours. And luckily our guide pointed us to some of his favourite spots. I must admit we missed the furniture gallery. But I do love all the inlay work on the furniture. It was definitely worth a visit.
Having a guide show you around is a good idea. There’s a lot to see.
Love this post. Chinese culture is so fascinating to me. The colours and designs are just beautiful. The furniture is so intricate and beautiful in there own ways. I hope I can visit one day as it looks fantastic
I would love to see the calligraphy and exquisite jade. both holds dear to my heart due to someone I love and lost. and art is something we both shared.