The Shanghai Wood Culture Museum is China's first museum dedicated entirely to the art and craft of wood carving and sculpture. Spanning 13,000 square meters, its core exhibition zones include:

• Wood civilization hall: A systematic overview of timber species and woodworking techniques.
• Ancient wood culture hall: Showcases thousand-year-old ancient wood specimens and carbonized wood fossils.
• National masters hall: Presents works by 48 nationally recognized masters of arts and crafts.
• Masters gallery: Features exquisite wood carvings by renowned masters, ranging from finely detailed portraits to sweeping landscape compositions.
• Dream of the Red Chamber cultural art hall: The world's only exhibition hall devoted to a complete set of rosewood furniture inspired by the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber.

The museum's centerpiece is its Dream of the Red Chamber exhibition. Crafted from more than 2,000 cubic meters of precious woods, including aged Indian sandalwood and Burmese rosewood, the installation spans 2,000 sq m of intricate carving, encompassing 16,000 relief figures and 2,000 narrative scenes. In 2019, the exhibits earned a Guinness World Record for the largest fully carved area on a complete set of rosewood furniture.

Beyond its exhibitions, the museum also houses a workshop offering hands-on woodworking classes and space for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage skills, a cultural and gift shop featuring wooden artifacts and customized products, and a conference center for hosting art shows and cultural events.

If you go

Where: No 2751 Hutai Road, Baoshan district

Open: Tuesday to Sunday at 9 am – 5 pm (Closed on Mondays, except national holidays)

Ticket price: 60 yuan ($8.52) per person

(Updated on Dec 22, 2025)

Source: Baoshan district government