Explore fascinating worlds at museums
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EDITOR’S note:
The high temperatures might make the seashore an attractive destination, but beaches are not the only place to escape from the summer heat. For those who seek intellectual leisure, the city of Shanghai offers numerous interesting and entertaining museums. Devoting a few hours for a walk at the museums not only feels like a trip back in time, but also entails broadening our vision about a wide variety of topics including postal history, architecture and so forth.
While Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Natural History Museum might be the best known by residents, there are some hidden pearls that deserve attention. For this reason Shanghai Daily kicks off a series on the city’s museums. This article marks the beginning of a journey to a few of these mysterious parts of the city that offer a new experience for visitors.
Yuan Dynasty Water Gate Museum
The peculiarities of this museum are endless and they start from its very location, as it is placed under the ground of a residential area. Opened at the turn of 2012-13, this museum was built on the site of highly recognized Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) artifacts. The archaeological site was discovered in 2001 by accident, when construction workers in Putuo District had to stop excavating because they were obstructed by a rock. The unearthing of the spot that took the hard work of archaeologists was finished by 2006. After a thorough analysis, the gate was identified to have been built in 1324 by Yuan Dynasty bureaucrat of Shanghai origins Ren Renfa.
The purpose of this ancient construction was to reduce the amount of silt that accumulated because of the growing sea currents. The gate was opened and closed in accordance with the tide: When it arrived, the gate was shut to keep out the water and silt, and when it left, water from the river was let out to clean away the silt residue.
The interior is a further peculiarity that is worth admiring. The museum allows us to observe not only the dam itself but also the proximate scenery, as it features the stone ground around the water gate, the 2-meter-high limestone walls and numerous wood-made poles, which are situated external from these walls.
The number of these posts is around 10,000, but only a small portion of them were unearthed, the others remain underground in order to better preserve them. A part of these poles are covered with characters of the Yuan Dynasty alphabet that was designed for the emperor, the phags-pa letters. The site is surrounded by glass-floor walking paths that expose the site to multiple viewing perspectives.
If all this is not enough to quench that thirst for knowledge, there are further artifacts in the museum such as ancient nails, bowls and coins.
Address: 619 Yanchang Rd W.
Opening hour: 9am-4:30pm (last admission at 4pm), closed on Mondays
Admission: Free
Lu Hanbin Typewriter Museum
Located on Yan’an Road W., this museum exhibits a group of typewriters collected by Lu Hanbin, an international merchant of Suzhou origins. In our modern world with rapidly developing technology, young children who enter the museum might not even know that the machines on exhibit are the predecessors of computers. The owner, who is devoted to creating a platform for culture, entertainment and business communication, possesses more than 300 typewriters.
The museum displays only some of its collection, but they are rotated every month. The exhibited typewriters are works of different manufacturers, including Olympia, Mercedes and Hermes. Although there are no English explanation panels, the writings in Chinese provide detailed insight into the history of the typewriters on display.
It does not take long to go through the typewriter exhibition. But those who want to spend their whole day in such an intellectually stimulating environment can opt to sit down and read one of the many books that are on the shelves. The reading activity can be accompanied by a nice cup of coffee or tea that can be ordered from the museum staff.
The museum, which is also home to an exclusive, private high-end business club, can also be used for business events and exhibitions. The venue can also be used to host literary events that specialize in the exchange of ideas between Chinese and foreign writers.
Address: 7/F, 719 Yan’an Rd W.
Opening hour: 10am-10pm
Admission: Free
Tongji University Deep Sea Exploration Pavilion
Located on Fuxin Rd, near the Siping campus of Tongji University, this museum offers the visitor an in-depth understanding of the oceans through utilizing the advantages of modern technology. The pavilion covers four sections and approximately 500 square meters. A calm stroll at this place entails an opportunity to observe the wonders of sea biology, the development of humanity’s deep-sea exploration and the newest developments in the field. The end of the visit does not necessarily mean the end of fun: visitors are allowed to take photos in front of different backgrounds, so they can preserve the memory of the day they spent “deep sea exploring.”
Address: 281 Fuxin Rd
Opening hour: 10am-4pm (Saturday and Sunday); From Tuesday to Friday only groups are allowed with reservation.
Admission: Free
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