Shanghai Glass Art Museum

　　The museum has a total investment of over 20 million RMB, making it the first industry museum in China and Asia to comprehensively showcase glass art. Located near Xintiandi, the fashion hub of Shanghai, the building alone features an exterior wall inlaid with more than 4,800 transparent glass bricks with a texture resembling that of cliff rock. A massive golden peony flower, 10 meters wide, 5 meters high, and weighing 1 ton, hangs prominently on the glass wall as if blooming right out of it, catching the eye immediately. Not just the exterior, but every detail of the museum reflects design elements—even the ceiling of the elevator room features a fantastical scene created by multimedia projection.

　　The museum is located near Xintiandi, the fashion hub of Shanghai. The building alone features an exterior wall inlaid with more than 4,800 transparent glass bricks with a texture resembling that of cliff rock. A massive golden peony flower, 10 meters wide, 5 meters high, and weighing 1 ton, hangs prominently on the glass wall as if blooming right out of it, catching the eye immediately. Not just the exterior, but every detail of the museum reflects design elements—even the ceiling of the elevator room features a fantastical scene created by multimedia projection.

　　The Glass Museum is divided into two floors: the downstairs exhibition area displays a collection of ancient Chinese glassware, masterpieces by world-renowned glass artists, and new works from 10 modern glass artists in the international glass community. The upstairs exudes a strong Eastern atmosphere, featuring representative works by artist Yang Hui-shan from the Glass Art Studio. Six exhibition areas highlight two themes: one focuses on Buddhist art creations, and the other on extensions and reinterpretations of the artistic conception found in Chinese literature and calligraphy.

　　The most astonishing piece among the exhibits is the “Great Wish of This Life” Guanyin statue, which took 10 years to create. This three-dimensional restoration work, originating from a Yuan Dynasty mural in the Mogao Caves at Dunhuang, stands 4.5 meters tall and is the only non-glass artwork in the museum. Above it is a meticulously designed multimedia projection of flying apsaras, while beneath the Guanyin statue are translucent yellow glass lotus flowers.

　　After nightfall, the Glass Museum transforms into an art salon. The daytime display platforms slowly descend via mechanical control to become bars, while chairs stored on the side of the platforms extend out. At this time, the glass wall, usually bathed in sunlight, becomes a vibrant, colorful screen under the illumination of lights. Visitors can enjoy the bar atmosphere while appreciating the cool elegance of glass art. Moreover, all tableware used for sipping fine drinks and sweets inside the museum is made of glass art pieces, making them hard to put down.

　　Address: No. 25, Taikang Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai

　　Type: Museum

　　Recommended visiting time: 2 hours

　　Official website: http://www.liulichinamuseum.com/sc/index.aspx

　　Social media accounts:

　　Opening hours:

　　Museum exhibition area: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–17:00; Museum gift shop: Monday–Sunday, 10:00–22:00; Xiao Santang Restaurant: Monday–Sunday, 11:00–23:00.

　　Transportation

　　Take Metro Line 9 and get off at Dapulu Station

　　Ticket price

　　20 RMB per person