Shanghai Museum
If you don’t go anywhere else in Shanghai, make sure you get to the Shanghai Museum. It is one of the best museums in China!
The museum is filled with thousands of Chinese artifacts, all artfully displayed. There are old coins and old furniture, old clothing, calligraphy, paintings, handcrafts made by China’s minorities, and more, much much more. China was one of the first countries to use coins, and the museum has more than 7,000 to look at. Its holdings also include 10,000 seals or chops from various dynasties though only 500 are displayed at any one time. In the furniture gallery, the pieces are displayed much like they would have been in a Ming or Qing dynasty home. The museum was established in 1952, and moved to its new location on People’s Square in 1996, quickly becoming the city’s most popular tourist attraction. If you’re pressed for time, you can give the museum a quick once over in a couple of hours, but many visitors spend a whole day or even two days exploring it. When you go, go early in the morning, as the museum only allows in 5,000 visitors a day to give everyone ample opportunity to check out the museum’s 11 galleries. The best part is general admission is free, though the museum does charge for special exhibitions. The museum has a restaurant and tea shop. It’s gift shop is one of the best I’ve seen in China and is filled with reasonably priced merchandise. |
Shanghai Motorcycle MarketIf you’re into the motorcycle scene, the Shanghai motorcycle market is a good place to indulge your passion. Hundreds of small shops are crammed together in what I call a biker’s paradise. If you’re looking for parts, this is a good place to find them. We bought brand name parts that would have cost about $150 in the United States for only $30! Take a translator with you if buying parts is your goal; little English is spoken here.
How to get there: The Shanghai motorcycle market is officially known as the Shanghai Yichuan Moto Market. It is located at 127 Jiaoji Road. The easiest way to get there is to get off at Zhong Tan Road on Shanghai Metro Line 4 or Yan Chang Road on Metro Line 1, and take a taxi from there. |
Shanghai Botanical Garden
Shanghai Botanical Garden by Liu Shuo
When you get tired of the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, look to the Shanghai Botanical Garden to find peace and quiet.
Located on just over 200 acres in southwestern Shanghai, it is the largest municipal botanical garden in China. It boasts thousands of plants in 15 specialized gardens, including bonsai, herbal, peonies, roses and bamboo. It also has a wild plant collection made up of 3,500 species mostly collected from along the Lower and Middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
Work on the garden started in 1974 and it opened to the public in 1978. The botanical garden hosts several themed exhibitions throughout the year.
Garden officials say the garden is at its best in the spring, with its website offering suggestions on the best sights during the rest of the year.
The garden is located at No. 1111 Longwu Road. The garden is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; the conservatory is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Located on just over 200 acres in southwestern Shanghai, it is the largest municipal botanical garden in China. It boasts thousands of plants in 15 specialized gardens, including bonsai, herbal, peonies, roses and bamboo. It also has a wild plant collection made up of 3,500 species mostly collected from along the Lower and Middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
Work on the garden started in 1974 and it opened to the public in 1978. The botanical garden hosts several themed exhibitions throughout the year.
Garden officials say the garden is at its best in the spring, with its website offering suggestions on the best sights during the rest of the year.
The garden is located at No. 1111 Longwu Road. The garden is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily; the conservatory is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2012 by Cheryl Probst. All rights reserved.