Shanghai Natural History Museum, Natural history museum in Jing'an District, Shanghai, China.
The Shanghai Natural History Museum is a natural history museum in Jing'an that houses more than 260,000 specimens from zoology and paleontology. The building itself features an unusual spiral shape resembling a nautilus shell and sits near Jing'an Sculpture Park.
The museum was founded in 1958 and originally operated at Yan'an East Road before moving in 2015 to the new spiral building. The relocation to Beijing West Road brought modernized exhibitions and a significantly expanded collection.
The museum's spiral nautilus shell design reflects China's connection to its coastal and river environments, a concept visitors experience as they move through the exhibition spaces. The collections emphasize the natural world that has shaped human settlement and activity in the region.
The museum is accessible on most days with regular morning and afternoon hours and can accommodate thousands of visitors at once. It is wise to allow plenty of time and consider avoiding peak hours to view the exhibits without feeling rushed.
In 2021, a 24-meter fin whale skeleton was installed, found in waters between the Yangtze River and Hangzhou Bay. This specimen is China's longest known fin whale and draws many visitors keen to experience the scale of these marine giants up close.
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