This museum is the antidote to futuristic Shanghai. It was what I craved after days of shoping and partying and gauking, like a hopeless character in a computer game with only chinese instructions.

The building is moderninst and well designed. It wouldn’t be out of place in a European city, yet it’s curves speak subtly of Asian history as it provides a strong central structure to the tranquil Peoples Park. Wikipedia has just informed me that “the new museum building is designed in the shape of an ancient, bronze, tripod cooking vessel called a ding.”

The inside of the structure is as interesting as the outside. Criss crossing esclators run on either side of a central high ceilinged space that allows for ample natural light.

There are five floors and I never felt that I was crowded as I wandered between them. I think that was largly due to the well thought out design - with multiple pathways up and down levels and in and out of rooms.

There are so many great displays that it’s hard to describe them. My favourite would be the Ming furniture. There are re-creations of entire rooms from the Ming period. Bedrooms complete with beds and chairs and chests of draws and cabinets. All simple yet beautiful and very functional carved wooden pieces with facinating joinery.

I also really like the Chinese Minorites display. Obviously the issue of Chinese minorities is quite political, but at least here there is some record of them. Unfortunately you do get a sense that these are historic or dead cultures, not so much living contributors to a modern China. An amazing thing is how many minority cultures there are. It’s this depth, rich history and cultural complexity that make China one of my favourite countries to visit.