International Museum Day is celebrated each year on May 18. This year's theme, "Museums Uniting a Divided World", underscores the vital role of museums as bridges for cultural exchange in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.

Museums are called upon to dismantle barriers, build consensus, and promote mutual understanding across regions, peoples, and cultures through the preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of cultural relics and heritage.

In Shanghai, the day will be marked with a series of events that also connect to China's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day in June, launching the 2026 Shanghai Cultural Heritage Season.

Main venue event

On the morning of May 18, Shanghai will host the main International Museum Day event at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, celebrating its reopening following more than two years of renovation and upgrade. On the same day, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, along with the Shanghai Natural History Museum and the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, will offer visitors half-price admission.

Branch venue event

On the afternoon of May 18, the Qingpu Museum will unveil a new exhibition showcasing archaeological findings from the Songze and Fuquanshan sites in Qingpu. The exhibition also features discoveries from other major prehistoric sites in the Yangtze River Delta region. Through approximately 150 artifacts, it reveals the deep cultural connections that existed in the area as far back as 5,000 years ago.

Citywide celebrations

More than 160 museums across Shanghai, including both main and branch venues, will offer free or reduced admission during the International Museum Day period.

In addition, a series of major exhibitions and events will also take place. Starting in mid-May, museums throughout the city are launching over 100 key exhibitions and supporting activities, with highlights including:

• On Top of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas at the Shanghai Museum on People's Square. This represents the largest exhibition of ancient American art and culture ever presented in the history of global museums.
• Splendors in Flowing Light: Special Exhibition of Qianlong Period Artifacts from The Palace Museum Collection at the Fengxian Museum, opening on International Museum Day. It stands as the largest Qianlong-themed exhibition held in Shanghai in recent years.
• Giorgio Morandi: Solo at the Museum of Art Pudong. The largest retrospective of the Italian painter's work this century, it offers an intimate look at the story behind Morandi's renowned color palette.

Explore more exhibitions and events →

Sources: Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, museums mentioned above