Shanghai History Museum

Inside the base of Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai History Museum traces the city’s past from ancient times to 1949. Models, wax figures, photographs and historic objects bring old streets, shops and domestic scenes into view. Look for the recreated street scenes, which give you a sense of how people lived and worked, as well as displays on Shanghai’s growth as a port and international city. There is a lot to read, so allow time if you want to explore the exhibits in detail.

A history museum inside the Oriental Pearl Tower

Shanghai History Museum is located at the base of the Oriental Pearl Tower. Its exhibits follow the development of Shanghai and the surrounding area, from ancient history to 1949. Models, photographs, documents and historic objects present different parts of the city’s political, social and economic past.

The museum’s setting is unusual: the exhibits are inside the tower, rather than in a separate museum building. The recreated scenes give the visit a sense of place, with shops, bars and streets arranged to evoke earlier Shanghai. Wax figures appear in some displays, alongside projected images and scale models.

Scenes of old Shanghai

The recreated street is a useful place to pause. Shopfronts and bar scenes give a view of everyday urban life, while the models show how the city changed over time. Some displays are arranged for visitors to step into the scene and take photographs.

Exhibits also cover Shanghai’s growth as a port and its development into an international city. The city’s past includes periods of foreign influence and upheaval, as well as earlier trade in goods such as cotton, fish, silk and tea. The displays connect those changes with the streets and buildings that shaped daily life.