To get a better grip of the Chinese culture and bring home more than just pleasant memories about the trip, but new knowledge as well, make sure to visit the Shanghai Museum of Ancient Chinese Art, popularly known as the Shanghai Museum. It is located in the center of the city, on People’s Square.

It is the most prominent architectural feature of People’s Square. Its extraordinary design is based on ancient Chinese beliefs about the world structure: the rectangle base stands for the smooth earth surface, and the circular roof – for the dome-like sky.

The Shanghai Museum was open in the middle of the last century. In 70 years of its existence, its funds collected approximately 120 000 diverse exhibits, and now it is one of the biggest collections on culture and history in the entire world.

Inside the museum, there are 5 floors, 11 galleries, and 3 exhibition halls intended to immerse visitors into the one-of-a-kind atmosphere of ancient China and Shanghai. And they cope with the task flawlessly.

The plunge into the ancient past starts with a peek into ceramics. Here, you can see both simple kitchen-ware and sophisticated decorative items, fragile porcelain articles, and many other exhibits.

We are moving further to a hall with items made of jade. It is believed to be the symbol of wealth and prosperity in China. Take time to enjoy the magnificent handcrafted jewelry, precious souvenirs, lucky charms, and amulets the beauty of which can easily make you dizzy.

We continue to deepen our acquaintance with the culture and history of China and Shanghai in a hall where numerous bronze artifacts are displayed. Then we move to a more modest but no less important room displaying significant statues and sculptures.

Stay for a while in the gallery devoted to the development of seals and stamps. China is the birthplace of these inventions that we still use, so it is impossible to neglect this exhibition.

The absorbing journey through the halls of Ancient China may be wearisome, so remember to catch your breath and enjoy the collections of the gallery of calligraphy and the hall of arts.