PLACE GUIDE

Power Station of Art 上海当代艺术博物馆

Shanghai Dangdai Yishu Bowuguan

The Power Station of Art occupies a former electricity-generating site beside the Huangpu.

The former power station housing the Power Station of Art, photographed in 2015; foreground works reflect that date.
The former power station housing the Power Station of Art, photographed in 2015; foreground works reflect that date. · Fayhoo · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo adjustments

Converted to WebP and resized without changing the subject or cropping the source frame.

Explore the region

Shanghai · 上海市 →Huangpu District · 黄浦区 →

About Power Station of Art

The building was reused for Expo 2010 before becoming a contemporary-art museum.

Its industrial fabric remains part of the experience: large spaces and the old power-station identity frame changing art exhibitions. The museum is also associated with the Shanghai Biennale. Check the programme for the date of your visit, because contemporary exhibitions change and the building’s permanent architectural interest should be distinguished from any one show.

The site originated in 1897 as the Nanshi Electric Light Plant (南市电灯厂) and was renamed the Nanshi Power Plant (南市发电厂) in 1955. Its three generating units stopped operating by 2007, after which the plant was rebuilt for Expo 2010's Pavilion of Future; the renovation, completed in December 2009, kept the building's original height but converted its four-story structure into eight stories, and the old chimney was listed among Shanghai's fifth batch of excellent historical buildings. On August 23, 2011, city authorities decided to convert the retained pavilion into the Power Station of Art, which opened on October 1, 2012, alongside the China Art Palace (中华艺术宫).

The museum has a floor area of over 40,000 square meters, with 15,000 square meters devoted to exhibitions across 12 exhibition halls, and holds no permanent exhibition, instead presenting temporary contemporary-art shows on an irregular basis. It is mainland China's first public contemporary art museum. The Shanghai Biennale, previously held at the Shanghai Art Museum, has used the museum as its main venue since 2012. In 2023, a thermometer, LED display and lighting modules mounted on the chimney were removed after the fittings and their supporting steel frame had rusted and posed a risk of falling.

What to look for

  • The former power-station structure gives the museum a distinctive industrial setting.
  • Changing contemporary-art exhibitions use the scale of the converted building.

Location & getting there

Getting to Power Station of Art

Approach 200 Huayuangang Road on the Huangpu riverfront. South Xizang Road station is a named nearby rail reference in the travel listing; check the onward route to the museum entrance.

General visit reminders

Choose the building, exhibition or part of the historic area you most want to see, then leave time to explore its setting. Check the venue’s current opening and reservation arrangements directly; a place appearing on the map does not mean every building or gallery is accessible on your travel date.

Combine your visit

A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.

  1. Industrial exterior

    Start by reading the building’s former power-station role.

  2. Current exhibition spaces

    Explore the contemporary-art programme available on your visit.

This order is editorial. Confirm access and any transfers between stops; it does not establish a walking route, same-day connection or common admission ticket.

Museums, art & science · 博物馆／艺术科技 →

Find Power Station of Art

上海当代艺术博物馆 · 黄浦区

Amap · 高德地图Approximate pin · 近似位置Apple Maps · 苹果地图

The pin marks the area, not the entrance.

More places nearby

Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.

Dongjiadu Cathedral 董家渡圣方济各沙勿略堂

2 km away

Dongjiadu Cathedral, dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, stands in the former riverside district outside Shanghai’s old city walls. The church was completed in 1853 with a Baroque design recalling the church of Sant’Ignazio in Rome.

View guide →

China Art Museum 中华艺术宫

2 km away

China Art Museum occupies the former China Pavilion of Shanghai’s 2010 Expo. The large red building on the Pudong side of the river was designed with references to traditional dougong brackets and the form of a bronze ding vessel.

View guide →

Xiaotayuan Mosque 小桃园清真寺

2 km away

Xiaotayuan Mosque stands in the southern part of Shanghai’s old-city area. Its architecture combines Chinese and Islamic elements, giving it a different visual character from the Buddhist and Taoist sites nearby.

View guide →

Sources & visit information

The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “Power Station of Art” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1369009973.

Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “Power Station of Art” · CC BY-SA 4.0.

Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "上海当代艺术博物馆", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 92143170.

China Revealed · Editorially updated 2026-10-07