Must-see in December! A comprehensive guide to the Shanghai Museum's free bronze exhibition.

The Shanghai Museum has finally brought this exhibition to the world stage! A collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art: "Integrating the Ancient and the New: Retro and Innovation in Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Bronze Ware" When we think of bronze ware, we usually think of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. Later generations used ceramics and ironware more, but this exhibition focuses on antique-style bronze ware from the Song, Yuan, and Ming periods, revealing a gap in our history. 🧐 👏What are some must-see artifacts? 1️⃣ Gilt Bronze Peacock King Statue As the highlight of this exhibition, the peacock feathers on its back are actually inserted? Actually, they were restored using real feathers for the exhibition. It's said that different feathers are used for exhibitions in different countries. 2️⃣ Ru Ware Porcelain Zun-shaped Incense Burner Why is a porcelain piece mixed into a bronze exhibition? It is one of only three surviving Ru ware tripod incense burners in the world. Even though it's not the main focus of this exhibition, its warm, sky-blue color is enough to attract everyone's attention. 3️⃣ Lu Duan Bronze Incense Burner & Goose-Shaped Bronze Incense Burner The Shanghai Museum's exhibition setup is truly meticulous. Against the backdrop of several animal-shaped incense burners, wisps of smoke rise from the animal's mouth, and a projection recreates the phrase "the golden beast incense burner incense" from an ancient poem. 4️⃣ Kunshan County School Bronze Gui The bronze gui from the Shanghai Museum is displayed alongside the bronze fu from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They were once part of the same batch of ritual vessels, traveling around the world, and now, after more than 500 years, they have finally reunited. 5️⃣ Northern Song Dynasty Bronze Dasheng Bell An imperial bronze vessel from the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. Only about 20 pieces remain today, both domestically and internationally. After being cast, they were distributed to various places... In each prefecture and county, the standard pitch was used to tune other musical instruments, fulfilling Emperor Huizong's dream of "uniform pitch." ✨Exhibition TIPS ✅Morning crowds are smaller than afternoon crowds; it's recommended to enter immediately after the museum opens at 10:00 AM. ✅Recommended visit time: 1-2 hours. If you have time, you can also visit the Bronze Gallery for comparison (mainly Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties). ✅The museum offers free audio guides via QR code, audio guides, and VR glasses (paid options). 📍Special Exhibition Hall, 1st Floor, East Wing, Shanghai Museum 🎫Free admission, no reservation required, bring your ID card. 🗓️November 12, 2025 - March 16, 2026 ⏰10:00-18:00 (Last entry at 17:00, closed on Tuesdays) For guided tours of the Shanghai Museum's permanent Bronze Gallery, please see below 👉