Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
corner of the square near the museum, the high ones in the northwest near the
park. There aren't many places to eat so if you're here for the day, you'll have to
plan where you're having lunch (see p.113 & p.117).
The Shanghai Museum
People's Square metro station can get fearsomely busy but fortunately as you
head west onto Renmin Dadao the crowds thin out dramatically. On the south
side of this giant boulevard, Renmin Square is a pleasant plaza with a fountain
where you might catch a few skateboarders, and tourists feeding the pigeons.
At the back stands the unmistakeable showpiece
Shanghai Museum
(daily
9am-5pm; ¥20, students ¥5; audio-guide ¥40, with ¥400 deposit).
The building's form is based on a
ding
, an ancient Chinese pot, and its layout,
like many Chinese buildings, is inspired by traditional cosmogony, with a
square base to represent earth and a rounded roof to represent heaven. Inside,
there are eleven galleries, with well-displayed pieces and plenty of explanation
in English. You'll need several hours for a comprehensive tour, though some
galleries can be safely skipped; the best stuff, on the whole, is on the ground
and top floors. Informative leaflets are available at an information desk on the
ground floor.
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