Shanghai Museum

One of the most esteemed and acclaimed museums in China, the Shanghai Museum is a comprehensive collection of the Middle Kingdom's millennia old history. Sprawled over five floors, one could spend half, if not a full day in this comprehensive museum.

The Shanghai Museum is located in People's Square in Huangpu District, west of the Huangpu River. The shape of the Museum was designed to resemble a Chinese vessel, known as a Ding. A Ding is a cauldron shaped bronze sculpture often used for cooking, storage and ritual offerings. Its design is an important traditional bronze shape and inside the museum, you will have the opportunity to see examples of these fascinating sculptures.

The collections in the Shanghai Museum are plentiful and varied, with artefacts present from each of China's Dynasties. Within this treasure trove of items, you will see bronze antiquity, ceramics, jade, and ancient calligraphy and seals.

From a more modern era, there is a gallery for furniture from the Ming and Qing Dynasty which includes examples of dining tables, bed furniture and closets. The design of Ming Dynasty furniture focuses greatly on the importance of natural beauty and is known for its romantic charm and bare structure. Qing Dynasty furniture design on the other hand is grand and intricately decorated, with the idea being to emphasise the wealth and stratification of a person.

The Chinese Minority Nationalities' Art Gallery displays art and crafts, as well as traditional clothing, of the 55 minority groups in China. Items in this gallery include tools used for weaving and doing metalwork, as well as a display on the art of mask making.

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