It’s no secret that Shanghai has upped its museum game in recent years. And while we’ll always have a soft spot for the good old Shanghai Museum on People’s Square, its epic wait times and packed galleries don’t always result in the slickest experience. Instead a raft of privately-owned spots – think Aurora, The Long Museum and Yuz – have recently been giving the behemoth a run for its money. However we reckon the brand new Guanfu Museum is up there with the best of ‘em.
Founded by collector Ma Weidu and with a branch already in Beijing, Shanghai’s version boasts a rather special location on the 37th floor of the Shanghai Tower – a.k.a. China’s tallest building. Whilst it’s some way below the towering observation deck, that’s enough to earn it the title of highest museum in the land (and therefore museum with the best views too).
The exhibition halls have been gradually opening over the past few months, and visitors can now fully enjoy five distinct galleries of Chinese antiquities: ceramics, gold, Buddhist art, furniture and silk. Each is beautifully presented, but our favorite has to be the collection of gold pieces. Housed in a darkened room, each piece is dramatically spot-lit to highlight the intricate detail and workmanship. This stuff is stunning, trust us.
After viewing the collections, continue on into the adjacent (but separately managed) café. The coffee here isn’t particularly special but the space, set in a huge atrium, does offer an up close encounter with the Shanghai Tower’s unique ‘double skin’ engineering as well as views back over the city. A pretty stylish end to a pretty stylish little museum.
The Guanfu Museum 37F, Shanghai Tower, 501 Yincheng Middle Rd, Lujiazui, Pudong. Open 9am-5pm daily. Tickets: 100RMB. Bespoke can include a stop here on one of our customized private tours.