One of the great museums of China, the Shanghai Museum on People's Square holds a comprehensive collection of Chinese art from the Neolithic period through the Qing dynasty. The building — a 1996 structure designed to evoke an ancient bronze ding vessel from above — is one of the most visited museums in China, with particular strength in bronzes, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, and furniture from the classical period.
The jade collection and the ancient bronze gallery are exceptional; the painting collection requires some Chinese art literacy to navigate but rewards it. Free admission (identity document required for registration). People's Square is at the western end of Nanjing Road East and is the main transit hub for the area. Open daily except Mondays.