In the heart of Shanghai, south of People’s Square on the banks of the Huangpu River, stands an art palace carrying thousands of years of Chinese Culture – the Shanghai Museum. As one of China’s four major museums, this national-level museum integrating cultural relics collection, exhibition, research and protection is not only a cultural card of Shanghai, but also an excellent window for foreign tourists to understand Chinese civilization and feel oriental aesthetics. With nearly one million cultural relics in its collection, covering 21 categories including bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, jade, and coins, from the Neolithic Age to the peak period of the Ming and Qing dynasties, each cultural relic is engraved with the marks of Chinese history, and each exhibition hall tells the legend of oriental culture. Whether you are a history enthusiast, an art practitioner, or a traveler visiting China for the first time, you can immersive experience the profoundness and unique charm of Chinese civilization here.
The architectural design of the Shanghai Museum is full of oriental charm, adopting the traditional concept of “round sky and square earth” as a whole. The roof is a circular dome symbolizing the sky, and the main building is a square base representing the earth. The lines are simple and elegant, retaining the essence of Chinese classical architecture while integrating the minimalism of modern design. From a distance, it looks like a solemn and elegant oriental treasure box. The Museum is open to the public free of charge, no tickets are required. Visitors only need to pass through security with valid ID documents (foreign tourists can use their passports) to enter, which greatly facilitates foreign tourists’ visits. At the same time, the venue is equipped with comprehensive foreign language services, including multilingual guidebooks in English, Japanese, Korean, etc., as well as multilingual audio guides (available for rent, supporting more than 10 languages such as Chinese, English, French, and German). Some exhibition halls are equipped with bilingual commentators to ensure that foreign tourists can clearly understand the historical background and cultural connotation of each cultural relic.
For foreign tourists, the core highlight of the museum is the characteristic collections in each exhibition hall, among which the Bronze Hall, Ceramic Hall, Calligraphy and Painting Hall, and Jade Hall are known as the “four major treasure exhibition halls” and should not be missed. The Bronze Hall is one of the most influential exhibition halls of the Shanghai Museum. It has a large number of bronzes of various types, covering bronze ritual vessels, weapons, tools, etc., from the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. Among them, the Great Ke Ding of the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Zun in the shape of a beast from the late Shang Dynasty are the most famous. The Great Ke Ding of the Western Zhou Dynasty is a model of bronze ritual vessels in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The body of the tripod is exquisitely decorated with long inscriptions, recording the achievements of the noble Ke and the rewards from the Zhou king. It is not only a masterpiece of bronze casting technology, but also a precious historical material for studying the history and characters of the Western Zhou Dynasty. The Zun in the shape of a beast from the Shang Dynasty has a unique shape, taking an ox as the prototype, with exquisite decorations all over the body. It not only shows the superb craftsmanship of the Shang Dynasty craftsmen, but also reflects the sacrificial Culture and aesthetic taste of the time. Wandering in the Bronze Hall, it feels like traveling through thousands of years, being in the ritual and music civilization of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and feeling the wisdom and creativity of the ancient people.
The Ceramic Hall collects treasures of Chinese ceramics from past dynasties, from painted pottery and black pottery of the Neolithic Age, to tri-color glazed pottery of the Tang Dynasty, the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty (Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, Ding), and blue and white porcelain, five-color porcelain, and famille rose porcelain of the Ming and Qing dynasties, fully presenting the development context of Chinese ceramic art. Among them, the Ru Kiln Sky Blue Glazed Zun with String Patterns of the Song Dynasty is known as the “treasure of the Ceramic Hall”. Ru Kiln porcelain is famous for its “sky blue” glaze, which is as warm and smooth as jade, with a delicate texture. Due to its complex firing process and rare surviving quantity, it is hailed as “the first of the five famous kilns of the Song Dynasty”. This Ru Kiln Zun has a simple and elegant shape and a pure and uniform glaze, which is a masterpiece of Chinese ceramic art, attracting countless Chinese and foreign tourists to stop and admire. In addition, the Tang Dynasty Tri-Color Glazed Camel Figurine and the Ming Dynasty Yongle Blue and White Gilded Cup with Interlocking Lotus Patterns are also unique, vividly showing the ceramic craftsmanship and cultural style of different dynasties.
The Calligraphy and Painting Hall collects calligraphy and painting treasures from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties to the Ming and Qing dynasties, including works by famous calligraphers such as Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing, Su Shi, and Dong Qichang, as well as famous painters such as Yan Liben, Zhang Xuan, and Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. It is a treasure trove of ancient Chinese Calligraphy and painting art. For foreign tourists, although they may not fully understand the artistic conception of Chinese calligraphy and painting, through the lines, colors and compositions of the works, they can still feel the unique aesthetics of oriental painting – pursuing “the unity of form and spirit” and “a distant artistic conception”, and emphasizing the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Among them, the copy of Wang Xizhi’s “Shangyu Tie” and Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty’s “Painting of Willows, Crows and Reed Geese” are the treasures of the Calligraphy and Painting Hall. The former has a fluent and natural brushwork, showing the calligraphic charm of the “Sage of Calligraphy”; the latter has a delicate painting style and smooth lines, showing the high level of court painting in the Song Dynasty.
The Jade Hall collects jade treasures from past dynasties in China, from jade cong and jade bi of the Neolithic Age to jade pendants and jade ornaments of the Ming and Qing dynasties, covering the jade craftsmanship and cultural connotation of different dynasties. Chinese jade Culture has a long history. Jade is not only an ornament, but also a symbol of status and status, containing the cultural concepts of “as warm and smooth as jade” and “a gentleman’s virtue is comparable to jade”, which is an important carrier of oriental culture. The Liangzhu Culture Jade Cong and Qing Dynasty Jadeite Ornaments in the hall are exquisite in craftsmanship and beautiful in shape, showing the jade carving skills of the ancient people and reflecting the etiquette culture and aesthetic taste of ancient China. In addition, the Museum’s Coin Hall, Seal Hall, Furniture Hall and other exhibition halls are also unique, showing the coin culture, seal art and classical furniture style of past dynasties in China, allowing foreign tourists to understand the diversity of Chinese civilization in an all-round and multi-angle way.
In addition to the permanent exhibition halls, the Shanghai Museum also holds temporary exhibitions regularly, covering various cultural relics exhibitions and art exhibitions at home and abroad, bringing more fresh visiting experiences to foreign tourists. The themes of temporary exhibitions are rich and diverse, including special exhibitions of ancient Chinese cultural relics, borrowed exhibitions of cultural relics from well-known foreign museums, and modern art exhibitions, allowing Chinese and foreign tourists to feel the charm of different cultures through exchanges. At the same time, the museum also holds multilingual academic lectures, cultural relic restoration experiences, traditional handicraft demonstrations and other activities. Foreign tourists can participate in these activities to feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture up close and deeply understand the protection and inheritance of Chinese cultural relics.
To facilitate foreign tourists’ visits, here are some practical visiting tips. In terms of transportation, the Shanghai Museum is in a superior location with convenient transportation. Foreign tourists can take Metro Lines 1, 2, or 8 to People’s Square Station, exit from Exit 1, and walk for 5 minutes to reach it; they can also take a bus to People’s Square South Station or People’s Square West Station and walk to reach it. In terms of visiting time, the museum is open from 9:00 to 17:00 every Tuesday to Sunday (admission stops at 16:00), and closed every Monday (except legal holidays). It is recommended that foreign tourists plan their visiting time in advance and reserve 2-3 hours for the visit to fully feel the charm of the museum.
Other notes: Please abide by the museum regulations during the visit, do not touch cultural relics, and do not take photos with flash; food and beverages are not allowed to be brought into the museum, and you can eat in the designated areas outside the museum; audio guides can be rented at the entrance, with a rental fee of about 20 yuan per unit and a refundable deposit; the museum is equipped with rest areas, toilets, and barrier-free facilities to facilitate tourists’ rest and visit; if you have any questions, you can consult the service desk, where the staff can provide multilingual services. In addition, the museum is surrounded by complete supporting facilities, adjacent to People’s Square and Nanjing East Road Pedestrian Street. After the visit, foreign tourists can go to the surrounding areas for sightseeing, shopping and dining, and feel the urban charm and local customs of Shanghai.
The Shanghai Museum is an art palace carrying thousands of years of Chinese culture. There are no noisy crowds here, only cultural relics spanning thousands of years and quiet exhibition halls. Each cultural relic tells the history and culture of China, and each visit is an intimate dialogue with Chinese civilization. For foreign tourists, this is not only a museum, but also an important window to feel oriental culture and understand Chinese history. When you come to Shanghai, take half a day to walk into the Shanghai Museum, wander among the cultural relics of thousands of years, understand the profoundness of Chinese civilization, feel the unique charm of oriental aesthetics, and leave an unforgettable memory of a cultural journey.
暂无评论内容