Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport was my point of entry into China. The airport was modern and huge. I must have walked at least a kilometer from the gate to Passport Control and the baggage claim area. After traveling for over 24 hours, I was relieved to see a man in the crowd holding an OAT sign.
It was already 6pm, twilight, when I got my first look at Shanghai from the van whisking me from the airport to my hotel. The first thing I noticed during the nearly hour-long drive was the never-ending urban landscape of high-rise towers seeming to sprout out of the earth. Densely packed clusters of these modern 20-30 story structures went on for miles and miles. Most looked to be residential, but as we neared the Huangpu River that splits Shanghai in two, many had the names of major corporations blazing out in colored lights.
After crossing the Huangpu River, we drove through the older part of the city. My destination, the Jin Jiang Hotel, was a European-style 13-story building completed in 1929. It was located on Mao Ming Road in the upscale French Concession neighborhood. The hotel was lovely and my room quite spacious and well-appointed. In the bathroom, there a fancy toilet with a control panel. I fell asleep in the wide bed as soon as I figured out how to turn off all the lights in the room, which wasn’t easy in my exhausted state.
I had arrived in Shanghai a day early, before the official start of my OAT tour. After working my way through the breakfast buffet (always a challenge on the first morning), I spent this “extra” day at the Shanghai Museum East, located in the new Pudong area of the city. The museum, which opened in 2024, wasn’t at all crowded on this weekday although I noticed a few school groups.
The Shanghai Museum East served as a great introduction to my China adventure because it brought me through thousands of years of Chinese history through its stunning collections of artifacts. The informative wall text and labels in English as well as Chinese made it possible to see bronzes, ceramics, jade items, coins, calligraphy, and paintings in their historical context.
I couldn’t stop taking photos as I made my way through the various galleries. I’ve included a selection of photos from each of the major exhibition areas that I visited. There was an extensive collection of ceramics, covering a period that ranged from Neolithic times up to the early 20th century.
One of the earliest pieces, a white earthenware pot with a carved pattern, was from the Late Shang dynasty (13thcentury-early 11th century BCE).
Lead-glazed pottery, such as this jar of green glazed earthenware, was popular during the Han dynasty (206BCE-220CE).
There were significant breakthroughs in firing technology between 581 and 960. This resulted in the production of polychrome glazed pottery. An example from the Tang dynasty (618-907) is this horse.
Further advances in ceramics, made during subsequent dynasties, led to the production of celadon pottery in which a green or blue-gray glaze is applied to stoneware or porcelain. This celadon dish with an appliqué of clouds and a dragon dates back to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368).
How would you like to sleep on this ceramic pillow made during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127)?
I was more familiar with the type of pottery produced by the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). These two pieces date from the Ming era.
One of my favorite pieces in the museum was this lovely bowl produced during the early years of the Qing dynasty.
The museum has an equally impressive collection of bronzes. Several of the pieces were wine vessels and musical instruments. This bronze bell is over 2500 years old while the bronze drum dates back to the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE- 8 CE).
Many of the wine vessels were in the shape of animals, such as the ox-shaped wine vessel from the late Spring and Autumn period (early 6th century BCE-late 5th century BCE), the fish-shaped wine vessel from the Western Han dynasty, and the elephant-shaped wine vessel from the year 1837 (Qing dynasty).
I was eager to see the museum’s collection of jade artifacts. I’m not at all knowledgeable about jade and I learned that jade carving in China dates back to the Neolithic period. The carving on this early piece, which is around 5000 years old, shows a human-like deity, an animal, and flying birds at each corner.
The sword pommel with the comma-spiral pattern was produced during the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE – 8 CE).
Jade carving had become much more technically advanced by the Song dynasty (960-1279), as you can see in this plaque with cranes-flying-in-clouds design.
The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was also a time of great achievement in jade carving, as seen in the belt plaque with dragon-flying-through-peonies design.
Jade was increasingly combined with gemstones and precious metals. This can be seen in the scarf pendant from the Ming dynasty and the tray-form case from the Qing dynasty.
One particularly interesting exhibit, the CeraMIX Gallery, used ceramics to explore the trade history and cross-cultural communication between China and other cultures. It began with the land and maritime Silk Roads that brought foreigners from diverse areas into China, especially during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907).
These pottery figures of a camel with saddlebags date back to that period.
The figures shown below portray people who are obviously non-Han Chinese judging from their features and their attire. They are most likely from East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia.
Overseas trade flourished during the Song and Yuan dynasties (960-1368). The Chinese produced a wide range of pottery, especially porcelain, for export. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Chinese ceramics reached Europe and the Americas, with Chinese artisans adapting their techniques, styles, and decorative patterns to meet market demands. Note the similarity between the Ming-era blue and white ceramic ewer and the 12th-13th century brass ewer from Khurasan in Central Asia.
Likewise, this Ming-era ceramic candlestick recalls a 15th century Ottoman brass candlestick.
Initially, blue-and-white ware dominated the porcelain trade but gradually the share of overglaze decorated porcelain (which featured more colors) increased. Below are two examples from the 18th century (Qing dynasty).
Ideas flowed back and forth between China and its trading partners, leading to innovation in both directions. As Europe acquired ceramics from China, European artisans began to adopt Chinese techniques and designs. In the photo below, you can see a Qing dynasty Chinese-made dish at the top and a pair of 18th century Italian-made dishes that it inspired.
As an artist, I could have stayed longer at the museum. I’m always excited to see how people from different times and places have expressed their creativity. But after several hours at the museum – including lunch in their café – I’d reached saturation point. It was late afternoon, and using the Didi app (China’s version of Uber or Lyft) on my phone, I got a ride back to the hotel.
By dinnertime, I was ready to go out again. Although it was dark, the temperature was still in the low 60s, i.e. quite comfortable. My tour leader, Tina, told me that Chinese people love to eat out and that there were plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. She took me to an unpretentious restaurant where I ordered a chicken dish and a green vegetable. Both were very tasty. However, I’d forgotten that the chicken wouldn’t be boneless but merely hacked into small pieces. Fortunately, my chopstick skills were up to the task.
When I finished eating, I was eager to explore the neighborhood. Tina assured me that it was perfectly safe to walk around in the vicinity of the hotel. What I found was a lively, bustling commercial area. Stores would be open until 10pm, and eating establishments even later. The sidewalks were packed with people of all ages, but especially young people, and the streets were humming with cars, motor scooters, and bicycles. I was pleased to see that cars and pedestrians observed the traffic signals. (The ubiquitous motor scooters were another story.)
And that was how I spent my first day in China. By 9pm (9am back home in Virginia), I fell into bed, eagerly anticipating the official start of our OAT tour the next morning.
lovely as usual
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