Shanghai history museum is one of these things that has been on my to-do list since several years. It took a rainy Sunday to get me to visit it. Focusing on 1920’s Shanghai, it would be perfect somewhere in the old concessions, in a renovated old house recreating colonial charm. At the contrary, it is located under the Oriental Pearl Tower, in the hear of Lujiazui skyscraper’s field. Going there on a rainy Sunday I was not expecting much, but it was a nice surprise.
The display is a nice and easy introduction to old Shanghai. Focusing on life like exhibition, it manages to put a great show and is quite entertaining. It definitely gives you the feel of a time travel to this period. I also appreciated that foreigners and their influence on Old Shanghai was not only described as evil and colonialist as it is still often in China. The show is very much unbiased, showing how the mix of foreign and Chinese influence created a very unique culture in Shanghai.
It is a good introduction to foreigner and Chinese visitors to the past of the incredible city we live in. Hopefully, it will help people to understand Shanghai heritage better. With a nice display about itself, Shanghai is becoming even more of a world city.