Our kids came to visit and since it was raining outside, we decided to visit this museum. It was recently renovated (two-month project). Although I can speak Mandarin proficiently now, we received very good service in both English and Mandarin, throughout the museum. It is free to visit; however, we wanted to rent audio equipment, plus VR glasses. It was a phenomenal experience. Everything is automatic. Did not have to lift a finger to operate the devices. It cost about $16 CDN to rent both audio and VR. Your deposit is credited upon return of the systems. The museum is beautifully set up, and well, it was a good day spent. We gave ourselves three hours. It was about right. Note that there are washrooms on every floor (four floors). This is especially helpful for young children, and the elderly. Oh, there's a rooftop garden where one can enjoy the city views.

Arrived as part of a tour group. Many signs are in English and Chinese. Reading the main signs on entry to each gallery sets the scene. As you approach some exhibits their lights come on so you can study them in more detail. Beautiful building with circular roof and square walls – yin and yang. I also liked the subtlety of the staircase an one side was mirrored by the escalator on the other side of the atrium.

It has been around ten years since our last visit and we were keen to see the exhibitions. Then, there was a wonderful exhibit showcasing the terracotta warriors. It was an interesting sight to see the building, which is in the shape of an old imperial wine cup traditionally used by the Emperor. Unfortunately, this time, three of the galleries were closed, and the exhibit on Leonardo da Vinci had just ended. Nevertheless, they still had similar galleries showcasing the clothing and jewellery of the minority groups in China, as well as calligraphy and Chinese paintings. We liked the wooden furniture exhibition. All in all, we spent on,y an hour here this time, due to the gallery closures. Entry is free via a QR code, and you need your passport. You can register at the booth outside near the souvenir store, and entry is then further round the corner at the southwest entrance. The nearest Metro exit is number 1, and the museum is closed on Mondays. There is another branch of the museum in Pudong.

We visited the museum on 2024-06-10. Our mistake was to not book a visit in advance through the museum's website, because it was an extended weekend due to Dragon Boat Festival and Shanghai was overcrowded with tourists. The plate at the entrance mentioned "a fully booked day". However, after waiting for 20 minutes at the ticket office and explaining to the staff that we were visiting Shanghai for 1 day only, our group of 5 persons received a pass. Entrance is free and this is amazing taking into account the museum interior and exhibitions, which undoubtedly require good funding. So we spent about two hours here and for me this wasn't enough, though a couple of exhibitions was closed. Personally, I found the section dedicated to Chinese painting art and calligraphy most amazing because my previous knowledge of it had been almost zero. There are items which are almost 1000 years old and this was very impressive. I hope to come back here with my family some day.