The PSA is an impressive but cumbersome space, a huge building likened by curator Qui Zhijie to London’s Tate Modern. The PSA may have similar hardware to that legendary institution but it doesn’t have the software — the staffing, budgets, etc — to match.... Read more
The best part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (MOCA) is the prime location smack dab in a lovely green portion of People's Square. Sunlight and panoramic views pour in through the museum's floor to ceiling glass walls. International exhibitions are the... Read more
One of Shanghai's best and most visited museums, the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall at People's Square documents the changing face of Shanghai and is an essential vising point for those interested in the evolution of the city. A perfect scale model of the entire city... Read more
Located in the basement of a cluster of highrises on Huashan Lu, Propaganda Poster Art Center has a collection of hundreds of original posters from the Mao years as well as a gift shop selling Mao-era paraphernalia, original and copied propaganda posters, and various... Read more
Located in the tough-to-get-to Hongkou district, the Duolun museum is the first state-owned hub dedicated solely to modern art. Spiral staircases wind through the seven-story Bauhaus structure that collaborates with Asian museums to bring in the occasional big name.... Read more
The top of the Shanghai Museum is shaped like an ancient Chinese cooking pot, so it should be tough to miss. Eleven galleries spread over four floors offer an artistic historical tour of the Middle Kingdom dating from as far back as 20 centuries B.C.E. Jade, Ming and... Read more
Since its inaugural exhibition, “Peasant Da Vincis”, in 2010, RAM has been on some next-level shit. Nowhere else in the city has such a strong events program or such consistent, well produced shows. RAM has held major solos for some of China’s most celebrated... Read more
Located on the tenth floor of the New World Building, Madame Tussauds allows visitors to mingle with the rich, famous and (sometimes) deceased. Aside from taking your picture onstage with Michael Jackson you can also walk through Madame's maze of horror. This... Read more
This is Shanghai's main science museum and it's a good day out, especially if you have kids. It's split into two wings, one of which is full of slightly moth-eaten stuffed animals, the other with interactive exhibits about computing, robotics, cells, space travel and... Read more
Yes, Shanghai has a tobacco museum, celebrating the glorious achievements of China's homegrown cancer industry. Marvel at collections of historic cigarette packets. Gape at photographs of form CCP leaders smoking cigarettes. Read how smoking might not really be the... Read more
There's not loads to see in this former synagogue, but if you're interested in the lives of the 30,000 Jewish refugees who settled in Shanghai before and during the Second World War, this is the place to go. There are two permanent exhibits with artifacts from the... Read more
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