The past and present of the Magic City revealed! This "Time-Space Treasure Box" hidden in People’s Square can actually travel through a thousand years

Sisters! Today I’m taking you to unlock a super cool hidden gem — the Shanghai History Museum! You think People’s Square is just about the matchmaking corner and pigeons? Wrong! This museum, transformed from the century-old Jockey Club building, houses collections from the 6000-year-old Majiabang culture to the 2035 future plan called the "Shanghai Code"! The best part is 90% of the exhibition areas are free! Free! Free! (Important things said three times) 💎 First glance amazement: The "luxury gold" blast of the eight-person sedan chair 💎 As soon as you enter the East Building, you’re blinded by the golden shine of the "Umbrella Sedan Chair for the Masses"! This "top luxury ride" from the Qing Dynasty Jiaqing era features a sedan body studded with 128 copper nails, and even the top hides a rotatable "lightning rod" design. The coolest part is the 28 gas lamps hanging inside the sedan, which were a "black technology" with only 3 in all of Shanghai back then. Now it looks like full-on steampunk style! 🌏 Hidden fun in the Geology Hall: Take the kids to find the "Root of Shanghai" 🌏 Don’t be scared by the words "landform geology"! There are super fun interactive installations here: ✅ Touch a 6000-year-old Songze culture pottery jar (replica you can handle) ✅ Build Shanghai’s "growth history" on an electronic screen (showing the transformation from bay to land) ✅ Find the skull fossil of the "First Person of Shanghai" hidden in the display case (unearthed in 1977 at the Guangfulin site) 🎎 Second floor Ancient Hall: Travel back to the prosperous old dream of "Little Suzhou" 🎎 The 1933 old map marking the "Eight Views of Shanghai" is still right before your eyes, and turning around you’re shocked by the Ming Dynasty Shanghai county boundary stone! Focus on these three treasures: 1️⃣ Xu Guangqi’s manuscript "Complete Book of Agricultural Administration" (hardcore notes from a Ming Dynasty scientist) 2️⃣ Replica of the HSBC dome mural (10 meters high "World Wealth" painting) 3️⃣ Collection of tram tickets from the Republic of China period (Shanghai’s first tram line in 1908) 💥 Third floor Modern History Hall: The symphony of cannons and cheongsams 💥 Just stunned by the cannons from the Opium War, you turn and meet the cheongsam beauties on the calendar! This exhibition hall holds so many "firsts": 🔥 Original telegram of the 1911 Xinhai Revolution Shanghai liberation 🔥 Typewriter used by Zhou Enlai in Shanghai (with Russian keyboard) 🔥 Military bugle used by the Liberation Army entering the city in 1949 (still playable!) 🚀 Fourth floor Modern Hall: From "Oriental Paris" to the city of the future 🚀 Standing in front of the satellite image before the 1990 Pudong development, you suddenly understand what "great changes over time" means. Must check out here: ✅ Cockpit of the first "Phoenix" brand car in 1983 ✅ Structural model of the "dougong" bracket of the China Pavilion at the 2010 Expo ✅ Interactive screen predicting Shanghai in 2035 (I tried the "air taxi"!) 💦 Thoughtful little tips: Museum survival guide 💦 1️⃣ Free drinking water: There are direct drinking machines next to the restrooms on each floor (choose cold or warm water) 2️⃣ Stamp collectors: Each East and West building has a themed stamp (get the stamp book at the service desk) 3️⃣ Photo restrictions: Photos only allowed in the foyer and the end hall (please put away cameras in other areas) 4️⃣ Hidden benefit: Free 3D glasses in the Ningxia special exhibition area (watching the Helan Mountain rock paintings is super stunning) 🚇 Transportation tips: After exiting at People’s Square Exit 11, don’t follow the crowd west! Turn right and after 70 meters you’ll see the museum’s Roman column gate. If taking the bus, get off at the "Nanjing West Road Huanghe Road" stop on route 20 tram! 🎁 Nearby linked activities: Visit the museum in the morning → Walk 5 minutes at noon to "International Hotel" for butterfly pastries → Watch a play at "Shanghai Grand Theatre" in the afternoon → Have local cuisine at "Raffles City" at night, this is the proper way to open a cultural day tour in the Magic City! 📌 Practical information: 📍 Address: 325 Nanjing West Road, Huangpu District ⏰ Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:00, closed on Mondays) 💰 Tickets: East Building permanent exhibition is free (West Building special exhibitions require reservation) 🎧 Guided tours: Free volunteer tours daily at 10:00/14:00 (the grandpas and grandmas in blue vests are super professional!) Standing on the museum’s rooftop viewing platform, looking at the bustling traffic on Nanjing West Road, you suddenly understand the phrase "The history of a city is a living epic." This place is not just a history gallery, but also the code to understanding the Shanghai spirit. Next time you bring friends from out of town, you won’t worry about having nowhere to go!