The world-renowned Shanghai Museum, a museum of ancient Chinese art, was established in 1952 at the West Nanjing Road in what was once the club of the Shanghai horse race course; in 1959, it moved to 16 Henan South Road. In 1990, it moved once more to its present and arguably most appropriate location in the People's Square. With a collection of over 120,000 pieces of cultural relics, the museum is especially famous for its treasures of bronzes, ceramics, paintings, and calligraphy.There are 10 permanent exhibit areas:

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Bronze (from the Xia Dynasty, 21st century B.C. to 221 B.C.).

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Calligraphy. This gallery exhibits original handwritten documents composed by eminent persons in China's history. Chinese calligraphy can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty; it matured in the Dongzhou Dynasty. Official script was popular in the Han Dynasty, while cursive script, regular script, and running hand script emerged during the Weijing Period. The latter three reached their peak in the Tang and Song dynasties. All the later scripts were patterned after them, but developed distinctive styles.

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Ceramics. The pieces displayed date from Neolithic times to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Many pieces are the high-quality products from famous porcelain-making kilns. Some have never been exhibited before, and some are very rare in the whole world. Some cannot be duplicated even with the resources of modern technology; simply put, the techniques have been lost. Illustrations painted on porcelain are not abstract like ancient Chinese sculpture and are a reliable record of the architecture and decorative arts of China's history.

Gallery of Chinese Furniture in Ming and Qing Dynasty. Furniture made during the Ming Dynasty is famous for simple modeling, gracious line, and well-balanced scale, while furniture made during the Qing Dynasty is noted for extravagant material and splendid decoration.

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Jades. Originally used on ceremonial occasions, the quality of jade ware deteriorated after the Donghan Ages. In the Tang and Song dynasties, jade was used more commonly in daily life.

Gallery of Arts and Crafts by Chinese Minority [who constituted this minority?]. The pieces displayed here include dress and personal adornment, dyed and woven embroidery, metal art ware, sculpture, ceramics, and bamboo wares used by the minority. The different styles, remarkable color, and creative conception symbolize the pursuit of a happier life.

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Numismatics. The display includes bronze coins (which have the longest history), gold, silver, black copper, and iron coins, and paper money as well as some foreign gold, silver, and copper coins that were circulated widely in China.

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Paintings. These masterpieces in various styles mirror the tradition and evolution of Chinese culture.

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Seals. These differently styled signets reflect the long history of seals in China and embody the profound cultural sophistication of the nation. Some seals can be traced as far back as the Zhou dynasties; some are as recent as the Qing Dynasty.

Gallery of Ancient Chinese Sculpture. Here, there are examples of ancient Chinese stone, wood, clay, pottery, and cast bronze sculptures from the Warring States period to the Ming Dynasty. The whole gallery is divided into four sections, with the main focus on Chinese Buddhist sculpture and figurine-modeling art. Buddhist sculptures with Chinese characteristics depict Buddhas that are more human and compassionate than the traditionally cold and remote Indian Buddha.

Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily [daily is my assumption], with additional Saturday hours from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission is free for students and groups [or is it groups of students?]. Otherwise, admission is RMB 21 [what does this mean?] for Chinese and foreign visitors alike and includes an electronic tour guide in Chinese. An RMB 60 admission ticket includes an electronic tour guide in one of several foreign languages. The electronic tour guide itself is a delight because it does not prescribe a set tour. Instead, exhibits that have a recorded explanation are marked with a three-digit number; the explanation is accessed simply by punching the numbers into the tour guide's keypad.