¥30–60
Power Station of Art
A 1980s power station turned contemporary art museum, and the home of the Shanghai Biennale. Best value art in the city.
The Power Station of Art took a functioning 1980s power station on the Huangpu and turned it into a large contemporary art institution, keeping the turbine hall and the chimney. It hosts the Shanghai Biennale.
Even the building is worth the journey: industrial scale, raw concrete, and enormous flexible galleries.
What to expect
Programming rotates and is uneven — this is the honest problem with it. When a major exhibition is on, it is among the best things in Shanghai. Between exhibitions there may be little.
Check what is on before going rather than turning up on principle.
Practicalities
Near Xiaonanmen and the South Zhongshan Road area, reachable by metro and walkable from the old city.
Cheap entry. Budget ¥30–60 depending on the exhibition.
Verdict
Excellent, cheap, and the building alone justifies the trip.
Skip it if
There is no major exhibition on and you are short on time.
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