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Explore the region
About China Art Museum
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.
Its reuse gives a monumental exposition building a continuing role in art display. The collection focuses on Chinese modern art, while individual exhibitions can change. Begin with the relationship between the projecting roof structure and the building below, then choose the current galleries that interest you.
The museum's predecessor, the Shanghai Art Museum, was founded in 1956 and relocated in 2000 to the former Shanghai Race Club building, where exhibition space reached 5800 square meters. Construction of the China Pavilion began on 18 December 2007 and finished on 8 February 2010, and the pavilion was retained after Expo 2010 closed. The Shanghai government decided in 2011 to convert it into the museum's new home, and it opened as China Art Museum on 1 October 2012, the same day the former Expo Urban Future Pavilion reopened as the Power Station of Art.
Designed by a team led by architect He Jingtang, the 63-meter pavilion was the most expensive at the Expo and, as its tallest structure, was nicknamed the 'Crown of the East' for its resemblance to an ancient crown. The museum's exhibition space covers 64,000 square meters across 27 halls.
Two long-term ground-floor galleries present an exhibition on Shanghai's cultural history through figures, events, customs and architecture, and a Master Artist Gallery permanently displaying donated works, its first installment showing more than 300 pieces by seven artists. The museum also periodically hosts special exhibitions, such as a Musee d'Orsay show of French paintings.
What to look for
- The former Expo pavilion draws on dougong brackets and bronze-vessel forms.
- Chinese modern art is the museum’s collection focus.
The surrounding area
A large district containing major museums and the tower skyline. A hotel near one attraction may still be far from another.
Location & getting there
Getting to China Art Museum
Approach 205 Shangnan Road in Pudong and confirm the current museum entrance and exhibition programme.
Combine your visit
A suggested sequence linking the specific features of this visit.
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Former China Pavilion exterior
Examine the projecting structure and traditional architectural references.
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Current Chinese-art galleries
Continue with the museum programme available during 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.
Find China Art Museum
中华艺术宫 · 浦东新区
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Power Station of Art 上海当代艺术博物馆
2 km awayThe Power Station of Art occupies a former electricity-generating site beside the Huangpu. The building was reused for Expo 2010 before becoming a contemporary-art museum.
View guide →West Bund Museum 西岸美术馆
3 km awayWest Bund Museum occupies a triangular riverfront site designed by David Chipperfield. Three main galleries and additional project spaces accommodate changing art exhibitions.
View guide →Dongjiadu Cathedral 董家渡圣方济各沙勿略堂
4 km awayDongjiadu 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 →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.
- zh.wikipedia.org ↗
- China Art Museum, Shanghai ↗
- Shanghai/Pudong ↗
- Chinese Wikipedia: 中华艺术宫 (revision 87271684, 2025-05-13) ↗
- English Wikipedia: China Art Museum, Shanghai (revision 1363276998, 2026-07-09) ↗
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikipedia contributors, “China Art Museum, Shanghai” · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1363276998.
Visitor information adapted and edited from Wikivoyage contributors, listing “China Art Museum Shanghai” · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Background paragraphs translated and condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "中华艺术宫", Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 87271684.
Background paragraphs condensed from Wikipedia contributors, "China Art Museum, Shanghai", English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0. Source revision 1363276998.