Founded in 1952, the Shanghai Museum remains China’s most important museum of classical Chinese art. In a modern building that’s something of a work of art itself – its unique round top and square base encompasses traditional Chinese concepts of the earth – the museum’s four floors include impressive displays of bronzes and ceramics from prehistoric cultures to the 19th Century, ink drawings, calligraphy and seals, as well as large collections of art from ethnic minorities. It’s also home to large collections of jade, coins and furnishings from the Ming and Qing periods (1368-1912). Also worth a visit is the excellent Shanghai Natural History Museum, one of the largest museums of natural sciences in China.