03 Nov 2019
This is an excellent tour if you have already seen the main highlights of Shanghai and want a more in-depth feel for the history and dynamic arts scene of the city. Our guide Mason picked us up promptly at our hotel. He was friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English very well. This tour was fully customizable, and we asked if we could include a stop at the Chinese Printed Blue Nankeen Exhibition Hall (a wonderful blue-and-white fabric museum and shop) in the French Concession. Mason took us there first, then off by taxi to the M-50 area which has a wonderful range of art showrooms and shops by leading Shanghai artists. We spent about an hour popping in and out of art spaces with a fun range of paintings, high-tech art installations, ceramics and other works. Great to look at and some great shopping. We proceeded to the fascinating Propaganda Poster Art Centre, a private museum in the basement of a residential apartment building showing the history of art posters throughout China's communist era. A fascinating display, and our guide gave us additional background on the development and changes in the art through the years. We finished the tour in the fun shopping and eating area (and crowded!) Tianzifang. The tour was not rushed, the guide gave us lots of interesting commentary, and when we were ready, Mason put us into a taxi and sent us back to the hotel. A super way to spend a half-day learning more about the art and history of Shanghai. We felt the price was reasonable. It included all taxis (except the return to our hotel which was less than 30 Yuan), and they were so easy to use since Mason called them with an app on his phone and knew exactly when and where they would pick us up. Having a guide also helped us in finding a couple of the locations, which would have been challenging without a local accompanying us. We covered a lot of the city in a short time. A first-rate tour we highly recommend.