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Sight · Pudong

Shanghai Museum East

Free, walk-in, world-class — and now Shanghai's main museum for Chinese antiquities.

Shanghai Museum East exterior — the white modernist building in Pudong, opened November 2024

The Shanghai Museum East opened fully in November 2024 — a 113,000-square-meter Pudong campus that's now the largest art and history museum in mainland China. All eight core permanent galleries (bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, painting, jade, sculpture, coins, seals) plus an archaeology hall, a Jiangnan-craft hall, and visible-storage rooms holding thousands more pieces. Admission is free and no reservation is required. Entry is via the B1 East Gate near Dingxiang Road — bring a passport for ID and expect a bag security check.

What's on each floor.

A quick map of the 113,000-square-meter campus.

Official floor directory at the Shanghai Museum East, showing the layout of all six levels from B1 to 5F
The official floor directory at the entrance.
  • 5F · Roof Garden Entry via the Jiangnan Gallery on 4F.
  • 4F · Archaeology · Zhao Puchu · Jiangnan Archaeology Gallery, Zhao Puchu Gallery, Jiangnan Gallery (regional craft), Open Conservation Lab (watch restoration work in progress), and The Art Space (creative workshop).
  • 3F · Ceramics · Coins · The Curio-City Ceramics Gallery, CeraMIX (ceramics specials), Numismatics Gallery, Special Exhibition Gallery 3, and The Curio-City (ancient civilizations).
  • 2F · Calligraphy · Painting · Jade · Seals Calligraphy, Painting, Shanghai Painting & Calligraphy, Jade, Seal, Digital Gallery, and Special Exhibition Gallery 2.
  • 1F · Bronze · Sculpture · Shop Bronze Gallery, Sculpture Gallery, Special Exhibition Gallery 1, and the museum shop.
  • B1 · Entry level East Gate entry, auditorium, digital cinema, and education workshops.

Getting there.

Where it is, and which metro line drops you closest.

Map showing the Shanghai Museum East location at 1952 Century Avenue, Pudong
Location

1952 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area.

East of Century Park, about 7 km east of the Bund across the river.

Primary · Line 2 Exit 8
Walking route from Shanghai Science & Technology Museum (Line 2) Exit 8 to Shanghai Museum East
Alt · Line 4 Exit 2
Walking route from Xiangcheng Road (Line 4) Exit 2 to Shanghai Museum East
Metro accessibility

Yes — three lines reach the museum.

  • Line 2 → Shanghai Science & Technology Museum station, Exit 8 — the standard route.
  • Line 4 → Xiangcheng Road station, Exit 2.
  • Line 6 → Pudian Road station, Exit 1.
For live walking directions, search "Shanghai Museum East" in the Amap mini-program inside Alipay or WeChat — no standalone app needed.

Plan the visit.

Four things to know before you go.

🕐 Time you'll need
2–4 hours.
A thorough visit takes 3–4 hours; a focused walk-through is doable in 2. Open 10am–6pm Wed–Mon, last entry 5pm; closed Tuesdays (except public holidays). Wednesday and Friday mornings are the calmest.
🎫 Tickets & rentals
Free admission.
Permanent galleries are free. Audio guides are available to rent at the entrance — worth it for the Bronze hall. VR glasses can also be rented for ¥200/person. Special exhibitions are ticketed separately, typically ¥68–150 depending on the show.
🛂 Entry & security
Walk in with passport.
No reservation for the permanent galleries — just bring your passport (required as ID at the gate). Enter via the B1 East Gate near Dingxiang Road.
Bag check at the entrance. Lighters are not allowed inside — leave them in your hotel before you go.
📅 When reservation IS needed
Holidays + interactive halls.
During National Day (early October), Spring Festival (Jan–Feb), school breaks, and major blockbuster exhibitions, the museum may temporarily reactivate timed-entry. Check the Shanghai Museum mini-program inside Alipay before going during peak periods.
The Digital Hall and Exploration Palace (interactive halls) always require a separate free booking inside the mini-program.

Glimpses.

A few pieces from the permanent galleries.

Three Shang-dynasty bronze Dao knives displayed in the Bronze Gallery on the 1st floor
1F · Bronze Gallery
Shang-dynasty Dao knives, ~11th century BCE.
A blue-and-white porcelain vase displayed in the Ceramics Gallery on the 3rd floor
3F · Ceramics Gallery
Blue-and-white figure vase.
A hanging-scroll landscape painting on display in the Painting Gallery on the 2nd floor
2F · Painting Gallery
Hanging-scroll landscape.
A group of four painted ceramic figurines on cube pedestals in the Sculpture Gallery on the 1st floor
1F · Sculpture Gallery
Painted figurine group.
Honest. Updated 2026. No affiliate links.
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