China Art Museum
China Art Museum
4
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles373 reviews
Excellent
148
Very good
145
Average
60
Poor
11
Terrible
9

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

Jo-Ann
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia17,192 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020 • Couples
The highlight in this art museum is the VIRTUAL PAINTING on the 5th floor. Awesomeeeeee. Breathtaking. Spectacular. It is named “Along the river during the Qing Ming Festival”. A painting from the Song Dynasty and today we get to see it with modern virtual technology. This art museum houses modern art which could be quite refreshing. A lovely and memorable visit indeed.
Written 17 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kyle Ciulla
Beijing, China347 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
The building itself is one of the most unique in the world, but inside showcased some of the best art pieces in china. If you enjoy art, then this has so be a must to visit. It is not that far out of the way, so make sure you visit it.
Written 8 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sergei M
Urbana, IL11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Solo
This is the worst museum I have ever been to in my life. A huge red building. First you have to walk around until you reach the only open entrance. The entrance is free. You have to ride 4-5 escalators to the top floor, then walk down and visit *all* the galleries filled with mind-numbing social realist art (red flags and happy workers and peasants everywhere). There is no other way down: no elevators or escalators. As a bonus, you get art made by children. Just when you think this torture is over, you are forced to meander through a bookstore and then another mandatory "exhibition" on the ground floor. Escaping IKEA is nothing compared to this museum!
Written 8 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gordon T
11 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
Visited the Art Museum as part of excursion to Shanghai. A spectacular building visually, with plenty of space for each of the exhibition halls. Whether we were there between special exhibits, there was a degree of sameness of the predominantly, painting based exhibits. A few more signs to explain in English would have helped explain some of the themes throughout, but there weren’t many sculptures or other art forms to enjoy.

A great exhibit was the River Scene at Quinming- explained and displayed in a huge animated wall display which helped show the incredible detail and scope of the work. It cost a modest amount to enter this room, but totally worth it!

Overall, the museum was ok, but I assume it would be better during a major exhibition .
Written 10 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anggi747
Jakarta, Indonesia108 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
I might be underestimated this art museum since my friends took me there. I guess it will be worth my trip in Shanghai. When i finally entered the gate, i have to say: Oh My God! This is big! They have a show inside, i forgot the title. You can see a lot things here, inculde how China builds their history altogether in this epic museum. Must see in Shanghai.
Written 18 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LuckyLuke040
Deurne, The Netherlands440 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Solo
I thought the building was more worthwhile than the collection. Very special architecture, and with a long escalator you go up in the middle of the building. There you follow a route that brings you down in a few floors. The top 2 floors are still worthwhile, although we get the impression that the collection has been put together to glorify the Chinese government. Fine, part of it. Then the collection consists of disjointed works and copies of Western art. You will also encounter the Mona Lisa and Vincent van Gogh, without explaining that these are not the original versions.
Admission is free.
Automatically translated
Written 2 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tan C
139 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2015 • Family
Adapted from a post on my blog “Shanghai virtually painted by Tan Choon Hong”.

The China Art Museum, Shanghai is housed in the former China Pavilion of the Shanghai World Expo. The architecture of the colossal inverted pyramid-shaped building is inspired by Chinese corbel bracket and ancient bronze sacrificial vessels. Soaring 70 metres into the sky, it covers 166,000 square metres with 64,000 square metres of display area for its collection of some 14,000 masterpieces showcasing modern and contemporary art of China.

This is also home to the Animated Scroll, a gigantic multi-media projection of the famed painting “Along the River during Qingming Festival” capturing a day in bustling riverside town Bianjing (modern day Kaifeng) during the Northern Song Dynasty.

There are 27 galleries, several of which are devoted to permanent exhibits tracing the history of Chinese modern and contemporary art, masterworks of star painters and sculptors, and 21st century Chinese art. Other halls are used for staging themed events by local and foreign artists, as well as art treasures from overseas museums.

Other facilities include a theatre, a conference hall and a library providing year-round buzz for the art community. In addition, visitors can refresh themselves in the cafes or pick up some art books and souvenirs in the other outlets.

Highlights of museum visit:

1. The massive entrance staircase which counterbalances the towering museum building and can be challenging for some visitors. Fortunately it’s a breeze riding up the escalator on the side.

2. Sculpture of a serene Soong Qing Ling, wife of Dr Sun Yat-sen, founding father of the Republic of China that swept away the Qing Dynasty. She was highly revered for her devotion to the motherland even after the Communist revolution, for which she was awarded the title of Honorary President of the People’s Republic of China in 1981.

3. Sculptures of a crowd at the railway station, and a family outing with that ubiquitous camera.

4. Heroic paintings of the people’s struggle against oppression.

5. Painting of a meeting of great powers – handshake of Nixon and Zhou Englai before their historic pow wow.

6. The gallery “Special Collection of Masterworks” that pays tribute to seven patriarchs of the “Shanghai school” and their diversity of styles including the fusion of east and west.

7. As you exit the main building, there are statues of migrant workers staring blankly into an uncertain future, colourful modernist abstract creations in a courtyard, and a life-like representation of an affable farmer surrounded by her produce, a great selfie moment not to be missed.
Written 6 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Xena
Montreal, Canada441 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Friends
Entrance to this museum is free. However, the museum’s best attraction, the 清明上河图, costs 20 RMB. I showed my student ID (foreign student at Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine) and got a 10 RMB discount. Do not miss this. It is a unique multimedia experience that brings the famous painting to life, with lights, sounds, and music. For those who haven’t heard of it, 清明上河图 is a depiction of life in the capital, Kaifeng, during the Song Dynasty around a thousand years ago.

The rest of the museum showcases many works of art by Chinese artists: traditional Chinese paintings, oil paintings, sculptures, etc. The only downside is that all signs are in Chinese.

The museum is housed in the China Pavilion from the World Expo 2010. Very impressive building, bigger than it looks. It’s located close to River Mall, which is great for grabbing a bite to eat.
Written 2 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jarko2015
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,731 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Solo
Even by modern China standards, this amazing building is quite breathtaking. It's free to visit, although what's inside doesn't really impress half as much as the building itself. It's not got great access as with all public buildings, the Chinese have gone out of their way to make it as inaccessible as possible. The metro station exit 3 is the closest to the main door, but this is situated by the exit for the museum. Yep. You will have to walk the entire length of the massive complex and then cross a truly massive esplanade just to get to the daunting steps that lead to the main door. I walk at a very fast pace and it took me 20 minutes from the station to the door. It's free to enter, but they will issue you a ticket regardless. Once inside, there is a nervous ride up the escalator to the where the exhibits begin, which is not for anyone with any height or vertigo issues. Ironically (although the Chinese don't do irony) even though the building itself is completely and totally inaccessible for anyone in a wheelchair or with mobility issues, once you're inside, every thought has been made for wheelchair users. Work that one out. Be prepared to be a bit disappointed with the exhibits. It's the building that's the star here. When I visited in November 2017 about 80% of the galleries were empty or closed. The only significant exhibition required a RMB20 ticket. As you wind your way back down through the cavernous building to the exit, the lower floors have the most interesting art to see. Check out the hanging bicycles in the 'red gallery' on the ground floor. It's quite an exhausting museum, with little of interest to see, but anyone will be taken by the building. If you also wish to see the BMW building across the street, make sure you do this first as once you exit the museum, you'll have the long 20-30 minute walk back around the entire complex to get back to the BMW site.
Written 8 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

phait_lee
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia598 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2016 • Family
Arrived with no expectations to this art museum especially knowing that locals sometimes do not have any respect to the art pieces.

Well, few of the local tourists did the usual shenanigans - touching the art pieces and taking selfies with them (which i don't get it).

Overall the exhibitions are split into 3 floors with the most amazing collections are on the ground floor. The exhibits are from mainly from Chinese famous artists and sculptures.

The other 2 floors have a collection of local and foreign artists, but would be good to have some of the pieces to have English descriptions and not only just Chinese.

I am totally impressed how well maintained and clean the place is as i had thought after the world expo, where the building was the China pavilion, it will be badly maintained.

A must visit definitely.
Written 29 October 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CHINA ART MUSEUM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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