Shanghai has the largest commercial art market in mainland China, and for visitors it comes down to two districts that sit at opposite ends of the city centre.
M50
M50 occupies a group of 1930s cotton mill buildings on Moganshan Road, along Suzhou Creek. The name comes from the street address, 50 Moganshan Road, and the district has been running since around 2000, which makes it the oldest art quarter in the city. Around fifty galleries and studios are packed into the brick blocks, showing painting, photography, sculpture, video and installation by Chinese artists. Many galleries are free, opening hours are roughly 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Mondays are quiet because a number of spaces are shut. Walk up the external staircases - the good spaces are not always on the ground floor.
The West Bund
The West Bund is a stretch of former industrial riverfront in the south of the city that has been turned into a museum district. It includes a large private museum built by a collector to house a substantial Chinese classical and modern collection, an art museum in a converted aircraft hangar, and a contemporary art museum in the shells of five former aviation fuel tanks. A riverside park with jogging and cycling paths connects them, and the whole area is walkable over an afternoon.
Choosing between them
M50 is better for browsing and buying, with dozens of small galleries and studios in a compact area. The West Bund is better for big exhibitions, architecture and a riverside walk, and its shows are ticketed. If you have one afternoon, do M50; if you have a full day and the weather is good, walk the West Bund and finish at the river at sunset.
Practical notes
M50 is near Shanghai Railway Station and is easy by taxi or Metro Line 1 to Hanzhong Road. The West Bund is further out, on Metro Line 7 or 12, with a long walk or a short taxi ride between museums. Opening hours change frequently and many galleries close on Mondays, so check the day before you go.
