Shanghai is one of the most famous metropolises of our time. It is a cultural and touristic stronghold of China that is often compared to American Las Vegas. It is also one of the biggest financial centers in Asia and the world.

It is not a problem for us to imagine how impressive the Shanghai of today looks even if we have never been there. However, those that were happy to visit this city, are the lucky ones. They had an opportunity to travel in time inside the local history museum and see the life of this supercity long before it acquired its modern image.

For a long time, the Shanghai History Museum didn’t have a permanent residence. In 2001, it was situated in the Oriental Pearl TV Tower that is one of the city’s key attractions itself. In 2018, the museum moved to the building of the former Shanghai Race Club and has been located there ever since. Some time ago, this neo-classical building was the landmark of the city.

A visit to the Shanghai History Museum is different from those habitual and long-familiar excursions styled as boring and convoluted lectures. Getting inside, you are transferred to the past where you can admire ancient alleys and old-time city buildings.

The models of many buildings are scaled to almost natural size, and numerous wax sculptures of people look just like real: here men are getting ready for fishing, and those women are doing some needlework, there you can see wealthy men riding a wheelbarrow, and this important official in gorgeous silk dress is occupied by governmental affairs. Here and there – traditional little shops, workshops, tea houses, public houses, and other interesting establishments where you will be met with realistic mannequins that you will certainly feel the urge to greet.

You are surrounded by everyday scenes and significant historical events, presented with such a finesse that at a certain point the line between past and present disappears completely. Even the museum employees are dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and suit the epoch that is presented to guests of the museum. The effect of the complete immersion into the atmosphere of ancient Shanghai is reinforced by diverse sound effects imitating the life of the city.