A guide to history and culture in Shanghai for museum lovers

As the Year of the Horse approaches, museums across Shanghai are unveiling a rich lineup of exhibitions spanning fashion, archaeology, ancient civilizations, science, and cultural exchange. Below is a curated guide to some of the city's most notable museum exhibitions for Chinese New Year.

Qipao: Glamour and Modernity Beyond Shanghai

Bringing together more than 300 items from the 1910s onward, the exhibition traces the stylistic evolution of qipao and examines its role as a cultural vessel that reflects shifting aesthetics and social currents. Highlights along the timeline include:

The 1920s-30s, when Western influences shaped a modern silhouette featuring a fitted upper body and a gracefully flared hem.

The 1940s, marked by wartime practicality and cleaner, more streamlined lines.

The 1950s, when tailoring reached maturity with the classic hourglass "X" silhouette that accentuated feminine curves, cementing qipao 's status as an iconic Chinese garment worldwide.

The post-1960s era, in which qipao entered a creative dialogue with global fashion, absorbing elements of Parisian haute couture, the practicality of New York ready-to-wear, and the fluid lines of Southeast Asian ao dai, while retaining its distinctive Eastern aesthetics.

If you go

When: Through May 5

Where: 1F, Exhibition Gallery, Shanghai Museum

Admission: Free

From Olympus to Capitoline

Held in collaboration with National Museums Liverpool, the exhibition brings together 131 rare artifacts on loan from the United Kingdom. Among the highlights are 76 original sculptures that capture the artistry and craftsmanship of ancient times, over 10 statues depicting major deities that offer a glimpse into the spiritual life of the Roman world, and 26 busts of Roman emperors and nobles that provide insight into the personalities who shaped history.

Divided into three sections, the exhibition blends multimedia presentations and reconstructed settings to trace the evolution of Roman mythology, the expansion of the empire, and the vivid daily life of its people.

If you go

When: Through May 5

Where: World Expo Museum

Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100-1900

The exhibition brings together 178 objects drawn from the Shanghai Museum's own exceptional collection of bronzes from the Song (960-1279) to Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, alongside key loans from major museums across Asia, Europe, and the United States. With 41 works appearing in public for the first time, the show stands as one of the most ambitious of its kind presented globally in recent years.

Notable pieces include a Northern Song Great Sheng Bell, used to standardize pitch in imperial ceremonies, from the Shanghai Museum; a Southern Song bronze vase inspired by the cong , an ancient jade form, from The Metropolitan Museum of Art; and a late 19th-century French vase featuring twin phoenixes, which draws on decorative motifs popular during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1736-96).

If you go

When: Through March 16

Where: Bright Dairy & Food Exhibition Gallery 1, Shanghai Museum East

Admission: Free

Echoes of the Silk Road

This exhibition presents 110 sets of cultural relics that highlight Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region 's pivotal role along the ancient Silk Road. Through artifacts related to governance, trade, daily life, and religious belief, it shows how the region served as a crossroads of civilizations.

The exhibition unfolds in three sections. The first examines governance during the Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, which ensured the stability of Silk Road routes. The second focuses on material culture, including textiles, glassware, and gold objects that reflect the blending of Eastern and Western techniques. The final section examines local entertainment, spiritual practices, and the localization of Buddhism in the region.

If you go

When: Through May 19

Where: Minhang Museum

Admission: Free

Galloping Wonders: Year of the Horse Science and Culture Special Exhibition

This flagship exhibition is a major collaboration between the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and the Palace Museum, presenting a rare showcase of precious horse-themed artifacts from the imperial collection, many of which are shown in Shanghai for the first time.

Visitors are invited to uncover the evolutionary history of the horse, trace its profound role in human civilization, and step into an immersive recreation of the vast grasslands. It's a comprehensive exhibition designed to be seen, experienced, and understood.

If you go

When: Feb 17 to Aug 16

Where: Shanghai Science and Technology Museum

Tickets: Available via the museum's official WeChat mini program

Admiring Agarwood: Hainan Agarwood Culture Exhibition

This exhibition explores the history and cultural significance of agarwood, a precious material long associated with Chinese incense traditions. Through rare agarwood specimens, historical tools, classic incense vessels, and archival documents, it traces how agarwood has been used in ritual, daily life, and aesthetics over centuries.

The exhibition also features contemporary agarwood products, connecting traditional incense culture with modern practices and craftsmanship.

If you go

When: Through March 22

Where: Shanghai History Museum

Admission: Free

The Ancient Dian Civilization of Yunnan

This exhibition introduces the ancient Dian Kingdom, a regional civilization that flourished in Southwest China during the Warring States (475-221 BC) to Han periods. Centered on the Dianchi Lake area in today's Yunnan province, the Dian Kingdom represents an important but lesser-known chapter of early Chinese history.

Organized into five sections, the exhibition features more than 200 archaeological artifacts, including the gold seal known as the "Seal of the King of Dian Kingdom". Many of the bronze ritual objects and elite burial findings are being shown in Shanghai for the first time, offering international visitors a rare glimpse into a distinct local culture that later became part of a broader Chinese civilization.

If you go

When: Through March 9

Where: China Maritime Museum

Admission: Museum entry ticket required

China's Dinosaur World

Featuring 118 representative dinosaur fossils, this large-scale exhibition explores the evolution, survival strategies, and extinction of dinosaurs. By integrating biological evolution, environmental change, and China's geological history, it offers a multidimensional view of prehistoric life.

If you go

When: Through Feb 28

Where: Shanghai Natural History Museum

Admission: Museum entry ticket plus special exhibition ticket required

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism and venues mentioned above