Aurora Museum
Aurora Museum
4.5
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Neighbourhood: Pudong
How to get there
- Lujiazui • 6 min walk
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4.5
47 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
12
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
dahokolomok
London, UK748 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
This was a really high quality museum, made better by the fact that it is quiet and peaceful, unlike all the other museums in China. Probably because it is ticketed. You get the same enjoyment you get as in Western museums.
The quality of artifacts is very high here. The only downside is that it is a small collection. But still will be enough to occupy 1-2 hours.
There's a good cafe on the 5th floor with sweeping views of the bund. Worth stopping for a coffee, just for the view.
No need to book tickets in advance, just turn up. No need to bring passport or ID.
The quality of artifacts is very high here. The only downside is that it is a small collection. But still will be enough to occupy 1-2 hours.
There's a good cafe on the 5th floor with sweeping views of the bund. Worth stopping for a coffee, just for the view.
No need to book tickets in advance, just turn up. No need to bring passport or ID.
Written 21 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.
Owen L
Shanghai, China247 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
It is hidden next to the Shanghai la Hotel along the Huangpu and a part of the Aurora business building, thee golden one with the high sign. Have always passed it but never knew the side building was an art museum. There is no sign but inside houses six floors of jade, ceramics, and sculptures organized by dynastic timeline. The interesting part is that they have side rooms that show how each kind of art developed and how artisans made mistakes and corrected them. There is a Chinese audio system that has wireless sensors that will pick up a phone tour guide (20 yuan).
Some standout pieces include a jade suit of armor, Silk Road clay figurines, Buddhist sculptures of many materials on top, and a view of the Bund on the fifth floor at the cafe.
There is some video installations but no videos of actual making of the art.
There is a 60 yuan fee and there weren’t many visitors on a summer Friday afternoon.
It doesn’t overwhelm you with shear numbers like the free Shanghai Museum, the place that most tour groups or visitors flock to but this is a nicer, quieter alternative and more educational as well.
Some standout pieces include a jade suit of armor, Silk Road clay figurines, Buddhist sculptures of many materials on top, and a view of the Bund on the fifth floor at the cafe.
There is some video installations but no videos of actual making of the art.
There is a 60 yuan fee and there weren’t many visitors on a summer Friday afternoon.
It doesn’t overwhelm you with shear numbers like the free Shanghai Museum, the place that most tour groups or visitors flock to but this is a nicer, quieter alternative and more educational as well.
Written 29 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.
LG964
San Francisco, CA108 contributions
Oct 2019
Unknown even to the hotel conciergie, we had to go on-line and give the address to the taxi driver in Chinese to reach this amazing private museum. There are 6 floors of displays (technically, one floor is the cafe, which was not staffed). There are Buddhist sculptures, jade figures of figures and beasts in addition to the jewelry, and porcelains. The best display are the pottery figures (coachmen, men on camels, men on horses, women, pavilions from the Han and Tang Dynasties). If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would.
Written 9 October 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.
Stephalopogous
United States240 contributions
Dec 2018
Aurora Museum, located in the swanky Aurora Hotel, was pretty cool and worth the 60 Kuai entry fee. It houses lots of ancient artifacts and each of the six floors had its own theme like ancient pottery or jade works, etc. I particularly liked the jade burial suit, which I swear I've seen in either National Geographic or Discovery books as a kid. Additionally, there's also lots of seating and a few interactive exhibits. Some exhibits feature videos about the artifacts.
Written 7 August 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.
Mike X
Chicago, IL3,789 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
I've been to a ton of museums in Asia, especially numerous in China. For me, the quality of a museum is based on its layout and explanations as opposed to the quantity of pieces or building size. The nearby Shanghai museum is larger and has more pieces but you'll get a better understanding of history and context from this Aurora museum.
The Shanghai museum has a ton of pieces on display but looking at your 15th jade disk tells you less than looking at 2 jade disks at the Aurora museum. This is because the Aurora museum tells you how jade figures came to be in chronological order and explains the evolution of the designs throughout time. This concept applies to porcelain as well. They'll also go into a ton of detail into the making of the these artifacts, which adds another level of appreciation to viewing them. Ultimately it boils down to this: If you're a more visual person who prefers to view artifacts based on their immediate visual beauty, I suggest you go to the Shanghai museum but if you're interested in how these things were made, what they were used for and how they evolved in construction and design over time, come to the Aurora museum.
Additional notes: I got the audio tour in English and a thorough visit, looking at every exhibit took me around 4 hours. You can skim it and be done in 1 hour though. They also have volunteer guides which is nice. You have to pay admission which means there are a lot less people and you get generally more pleasant experience.
The Shanghai museum has a ton of pieces on display but looking at your 15th jade disk tells you less than looking at 2 jade disks at the Aurora museum. This is because the Aurora museum tells you how jade figures came to be in chronological order and explains the evolution of the designs throughout time. This concept applies to porcelain as well. They'll also go into a ton of detail into the making of the these artifacts, which adds another level of appreciation to viewing them. Ultimately it boils down to this: If you're a more visual person who prefers to view artifacts based on their immediate visual beauty, I suggest you go to the Shanghai museum but if you're interested in how these things were made, what they were used for and how they evolved in construction and design over time, come to the Aurora museum.
Additional notes: I got the audio tour in English and a thorough visit, looking at every exhibit took me around 4 hours. You can skim it and be done in 1 hour though. They also have volunteer guides which is nice. You have to pay admission which means there are a lot less people and you get generally more pleasant experience.
Written 14 October 2018
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.
waterfall9999
Orlando, FL181 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
This is one of the best museums in China. The exhibits are superbly displayed over 4 floors. The museum is very clean and the lighting perfect. On the bottom floor is a museum shop. On each floor there is a side room that shows research about the creation of the art form, history, and production methods. The floors are divided in sequential order going up into ancient figures (tang dynasty etc (silk road riders, musicians, houses, figures)), jade (including a jade burial suit), blue on white porcelain, and Buddhist statuary on the top floor. There are so many quality items that one visit is probably not enough to be able to take in everything. The museum is easily accessible by a short walk from the MRT.
Written 21 October 2014
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.
Kartch
Melbourne, Australia164 contributions
Dec 2018 • Solo
This smaller and off-the-beaten track museum is just next door to Shangri La and 15 min walk from the Shanghai tower, where everybody's going if in Shanghai. But for a culture lover it has a lot to offer. Firstly, unlike its more famous cousin, the Shanghai museum, it has no crowds and has relaxing, modern amenities, i.e. benches to sit on, lovely dimmed lights. Secondly it has less exhibits (still more than enough), but they are perfectly displayed, with very thoughtful interpretive English descriptions. It doesn't overwhelm you with the quantity of artefacts, but rather drive you to learn, understand and appreciate those artefacts deeper, through those detailed interpretive storyboards, detailing, the history and the process. On its top floor, there is a fantastic view over The Bund on the other side of the river. The top floor has a collection of Buddhas, which is very impressive, and it kinda tops off your experience, like a culmination of a little trip back in time to Chinese culture. Can't recommend it high enough. Please see it for yourself.
Written 17 December 2018
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.
Blaobaba
263 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
This is one of the best museums I have ever been to. It displays Chinese artefacts ranging from 5000 years back up until fairly recently. The atmosphere there is amazing, artefacts are phenomenal, cafe on the fifth floor is cool.
If you are into history, don't miss this
If you are into history, don't miss this
Written 9 November 2018
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.
Alexa B
Bordeaux, France5 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
Having lived in Pudong for a year, we are a little embarrassed to have only now discovered this incredible museum. For the very fair price of 60RMB, you gain entrance to an oasis of tranquility, a space perfectly designed to facilitate contemplation of the very long history of Chinese art. A well-curated collection that doesn't drag on, each piece seems to be an exemplar of its type. We also very much enjoyed that the museum-- even on a Sunday afternoon!-- was very quiet and calm, with only a few other visitors. Few children. The cafe on the 5th floor has a jaw dropping view straight at the Bund-- we spent a lovely hour discussing the history of each building over flan and tea.
A must visit for anyone coming to or living in Shanghai.
A must visit for anyone coming to or living in Shanghai.
Written 3 September 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.
MoiAli
Edinburgh120 contributions
Apr 2017
This is a private museum in Pudong, and it seems to be very quiet compared with the Shanghai Museum - perhaps because you have to pay, unlike that museum. The building is very well arranged to give the exhibits maximum impact. There are the usual range of things you'd expect - jade, blue and white China, Buddhist artefacts and statuary etc. The cafe in the basement is also very nice, and there's a good gift shop too.
Written 6 April 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.
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