Shanghai · art museum
Long Museum West Bund (龙美术馆西岸馆, Lóng Měishùguǎn Xī'àn Guǎn)
The Long Museum West Bund is the flagship of the Long Museum group, founded by billionaire collectors Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei. Liu Yiqian is famous — or infamous — for purchasing a Ming Dynasty "Chicken Cup" (成化斗彩鸡缸杯) for US$36 million at Sotheby's in 2014 and subsequently being photographed drinking tea from it. The West Bund branch, opened in 2014, occupies a former coal-loading dock on the Huangpu River, redesigned by Atelier Deshaus with dramatic vaulted concrete ceilings that retain the industrial character of the original structure. The collection spans ancient Chinese art (Song Dynasty paintings, Ming porcelain), modern Chinese painting, and contemporary art, with rotating exhibitions drawn from the collection.
Last updated:
Quick Answer
Is Long Museum West Bund worth visiting?
Billionaire collector Liu Yiqian's private museum on the West Bund. ¥200. Ancient to contemporary Chinese art in a stunning concrete-and-vaulted industrial building.
Quick facts
| Category | art |
|---|---|
| Ticket | ¥200 (full collection access). Individual exhibitions ¥100-150. Tickets at the door or via Long Museum WeChat mini-program. Student discount 50%. |
| Hours | 10:00-18:00 (last entry 17:00). Closed Mondays. |
| Recommended duration | 2-3 hours. |
| Best time to visit | Weekday afternoons. The West Bund cultural corridor is quieter on weekdays. Saturday afternoons draw the largest crowds. |
| How to get there | Metro Line 7 or 12 to Middle Longhua Road (龙华中路), Exit 5. Walk south 15 minutes along Longteng Avenue. Or DiDi from central Shanghai ¥40-60. The museum is part of the West Bund cultural corridor, near the Yuz Museum and West Bund Art Center. |
| English signage | yes |
Why visit
The building is a masterpiece of adaptive reuse — the vaulted concrete ceilings of the former coal dock create cathedral-like gallery spaces. The collection's ancient-to-contemporary sweep reflects the ambition of China's new private museum class.
Collection highlights
- The building — a former coal dock transformed by Atelier Deshaus with vaulted concrete ceilings, retaining the industrial gantry cranes and riverside setting
- Ancient Chinese art — Song Dynasty paintings, Ming porcelain, and the famous "Chicken Cup" (when on display)
- Modern Chinese painting — 20th-century masters including Xu Beihong, Lin Fengmian, and Wu Guanzhong
- Contemporary art — large-scale installations by Chinese and international artists, commissioned for the vaulted gallery spaces
- Revolutionary art collection — PRC-era oil paintings of revolutionary history, one of the best private collections of this genre
- Riverside terrace — views across the Huangpu River to the Pudong skyline from the museum's outdoor spaces
Tips
- ¥200 is one of the most expensive museum tickets in China — check the current exhibitions online before committing. The full collection is worth it if you are serious about Chinese art
- The building is worth visiting even if the exhibitions do not interest you — the vaulted concrete spaces are stunning and the riverside location is a peaceful break from central Shanghai
- I visited during a Liu Yiqian collection exhibition in June 2026 — the juxtaposition of a Song Dynasty landscape scroll next to a 5-meter contemporary oil painting in the same vaulted space was unforgettable
- The West Bund (西岸) is Shanghai's museum district — combine with the Yuz Museum (500 m south), West Bund Art Center (800 m south), and the riverside promenade for a full cultural day
- The museum cafe on the ground floor has excellent coffee and a terrace overlooking the Huangpu River
- Photography is permitted without flash in most galleries. Some loan exhibitions restrict photography
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Long Museum West Bund cost?
¥200 for full collection access, making it one of the most expensive museum tickets in China. Individual exhibitions are ¥100-150. Student discount is 50%. Buy at the door or via the Long Museum WeChat mini-program.
Who is Liu Yiqian?
Liu Yiqian is a Chinese billionaire, former taxi driver, and one of the world's most prominent art collectors. He and his wife Wang Wei founded the Long Museum group. He is famous for purchasing a Ming Dynasty "Chicken Cup" for US$36 million in 2014 and the "Gong Fu Tie" calligraphy scroll for US$45 million.
What is the Long Museum building?
A former coal-loading dock on the Huangpu River, redesigned by the Shanghai architecture firm Atelier Deshaus. The building retains its industrial gantry cranes and features dramatic vaulted concrete ceilings that create cathedral-like gallery spaces. It opened as a museum in 2014.
How long do I need at the Long Museum West Bund?
2-3 hours. The building itself warrants 30 minutes of exploration. The exhibitions occupy 3-4 large gallery halls. Allow extra time for the riverside terrace and cafe.
Does the Long Museum West Bund have English signage?
Yes — comprehensive English signage throughout. All major exhibitions have bilingual wall texts and labels. English audio guides are available for select exhibitions.
Where is the Long Museum West Bund?
On Longteng Avenue in the West Bund cultural corridor, Xuhui District. Metro Line 7 or 12 to Middle Longhua Road (龙华中路), Exit 5, then a 15-minute walk south. It is near the Yuz Museum and West Bund Art Center.
Read next
Other things to do in Shanghai
The Bund
1.5 km waterfront promenade facing Pudong's skyscrapers. Best at sunset. Free, 24/7.
Yu Garden
A 2-hectare Ming Dynasty garden hidden inside old Shanghai — 30+ pavilions, rockeries, dragon walls, and koi ponds. Surrounded by the Yu Bazaar market. 1.5 hours. ¥40.
Shanghai Tower
632 meters — the world's third-tallest building with the highest observation deck in the world at 562 meters. 360-degree views from the 118th floor. ¥180.
Zhujiajiao Water Town
A 1,700-year-old canal town 45 minutes from Shanghai — stone bridges, boat rides, and lane food. Free entry (attractions cost extra). Half day.
French Concession
Tree-lined streets, 1920s lane houses, and Shanghai's best cafes and boutiques in the city's most walkable neighborhood. Free. Half day wandering.
Nanjing Road
5.5 km shopping street from the Bund to People's Square. Pedestrianized east section. Free. Best at night with neon lights. Historic Shanghai department stores line the route.
Shanghai Tower
World's 3rd tallest building (632m, 128 floors). Observation deck on 118th floor. Best skyline view in Asia. ¥180. 1–2 hours.
Shanghai French Concession
Shanghai's most atmospheric neighborhood — tree-lined streets, 1920s Art Deco buildings, boutiques, and cafés. Free walking area. Best explored on foot or by bike. Half day.
Shanghai Disneyland
The first Disney park on mainland China, open since June 2016 in Pudong, with the tallest Disney castle anywhere (~60 m) and rides you can't get elsewhere like TRON and the redesigned Pirates. Budget a full 10-12 hours; weekday adult tickets start at ¥475 (as of 2026).
Jade Buddha Temple
A working Buddhist monastery in Shanghai's Putuo District, built 1918-1928 around two white-jade Buddhas a monk carried home from Burma in 1882 — the seated one 1.9 m tall and nearly a tonne. Entry is free, allow 1-2 hours, and the ¥30 vegetarian noodles are the real reason locals keep coming back.
Oriental Pearl TV Tower
A 468-meter TV tower of stacked spheres with a glass-bottom corridor at 259m; budget 2-3 hours and arrive before sunset to catch both day and night views of the Pudong skyline.
Xintiandi
A car-free block of restored 1920s shikumen lane houses turned into Shanghai's priciest cafe-and-bar district. Budget 2-3 hours; entry is free but a coffee costs more than your metro ride there.
Museums in Shanghai
Shanghai Museum
China's premier museum of ancient Chinese art — bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, jade, and numismatics. Free entry at People's Square. The bronze collection is among the finest in the world.
China Art Museum
Modern and contemporary Chinese art in the striking former China Pavilion from Expo 2010. Free entry. Home of the animated digital "Along the River During the Qingming Festival."
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
A family-oriented science museum with robot musicians, a walk-through animal world, and Shanghai's best hands-on physics exhibits — budget a full afternoon.
Shanghai Natural History Museum
10,000+ specimens in a striking biomimetic building. Dinosaur skeletons, a 140-million-year-old Mamenchisaurus, and immersive ecosystems. ¥30. Shanghai's best family museum.
Shanghai History Museum
Shanghai's journey from fishing village to 1930s "Paris of the East" — told through artifacts, photographs, and immersive street scenes. Below the Oriental Pearl Tower. Free.
China Maritime Museum
Maritime Silk Road, Zheng He's treasure ships, and a full-size Ming Dynasty junk replica inside a sail-shaped building near Dishui Lake. China's national maritime museum. ¥50.
Shanghai Propaganda Poster Art Centre
Private collection of Mao-era propaganda posters in a basement gallery. ¥20. One of Shanghai's most distinctive small museums. A window into 20th-century Chinese political art.
Rockbund Art Museum
Contemporary art in a stunning 1933 Art Deco building on the Bund. ¥50. Rotating exhibitions by Chinese and international artists. The building rivals the art.
Power Station of Art
China's first state-run contemporary art museum, set inside a converted 1897 British-built coal-fired power plant on the Huangpu River — admission is free and 2-3 hours covers the main halls.
Long Museum (Pudong)
Two million RMB and eight years of collecting went into this private art museum in the Pudong riverfront — set aside about 2 hours and arrive before noon.
HOW Art Museum
A private contemporary art museum in Pudong with about 3,000 sqm of exhibition space, walkable in 90 minutes if you skip the gift-shop vortex.
M50 Art District
A converted 1930s wool-spinning mill on Moganshan Road now hosting 130+ artist studios and galleries; plan 2–3 hours for a real walk-through, not a quick photo stop.