When humans raise the sails of exploration,
When dreams ride the wind and waves on the blue ocean,
New air routes connect unfamiliar continents,
Depicting a magnificent picture of sailing

Every child has a dream of sailing, which is a kind of exploration of the unknown world. Even in my 2-year-old baby's body, it is enough to reflect, like a hundred thousand whys all day long? What about that? Keep asking. Since taking him to see the sea, he has been nagging every day about the sea, big fish, big ships... So Kai and I decided to take him to Lingang for a weekend trip. Not only does it have the ocean, but more importantly, it also has the China Maritime Museum, a knowledge ocean that allows children to explore the world of navigation.

Since Kaikai was 8 months old, I have been taking him to various museums. Many parents may think that their children are young and it is difficult for them to understand the "adult world". So you really underestimate the abilities of these little elves. As long as you persist enough, they will give you many unexpected insights. Museum education must start from a young age, allowing history, technology, and culture to enter their field of vision and integrate into their world, never eroding their enthusiasm for understanding this world.

There are many museums in Shanghai, but when choosing a museum, it is important to choose one that is suitable for children, immersive, and has many interactive games. The China Maritime Museum is one of them.

This is currently the largest and highest level comprehensive maritime museum in China, covering topics such as maritime history, maritime knowledge, and shipbuilding. It is like a feast of the sea and sky, with many interactive projects that can reflect dry knowledge in various operational interactions, making it more suitable for children to explore together.

In the morning, drive to the China Maritime Museum, which takes about an hour by car from the city center. The museum is located on the banks of Dishui Lake in Nanhui Lingang New City, Pudong New Area. As the car enters the Lingang urban area, there are lush greenery on both sides, clean and spacious streets, creating a peaceful and ecological city scene.

Do you see, baby? The Maritime Museum has arrived

The drowsy baby suddenly regained his energy and pointed to the white building in the distance, "Sailboat

Haha, yes, this is the China Maritime Museum, a building that looks like two white sails, as if setting sail towards the sea.

The museum officially opened at 9:30, and we arrived at the museum in a hurry because it is said that the exhibition area of the Maritime Museum has reached 21000 square meters. Considering taking our children along, it would take a lot of time just to go around, and with countless cultural relics, models, and interactive games, it is expected to take us more than half a day to play.

We parked the car in the free parking lot inside the museum, held the baby's hand, climbed up the stairs layer by layer, and arrived at the museum gate~The excitement on the baby's face, a sailing journey is about to begin! (Tips: For those pushing strollers, it is recommended to take the elevator from the parking lot directly to the 2nd floor.)

China Maritime Museum, fulfilling a child's maritime dream

We booked tickets online in advance and made venue reservations through the "Shanghai Travel Code". Now it's the 10th anniversary celebration of the China Maritime Museum, so even the tickets are discounted by 60%. The cost-effectiveness is too high.

Entering the Maritime Museum, the entrance is the service center, where you can ask any questions.

Next to it is a free luggage storage area. If you are a tourist from another city, you can store some suitcases and other large items. For parents, the most considerate thing is that you can also rent a baby stroller for free here, with only a 200 deposit, which eliminates the fatigue of holding a baby by hand...

Behind the service desk is the exhibition area. Don't rush in, take the map and tour guide first. There are guide maps and some temporary exhibition materials displayed on both sides of the entrance. There are two types of tour guides, one suitable for adults to read and the other more suitable for children. They are full of childlike fun and not only provide detailed distribution of exhibition halls, but also guide children on how to "play" and explore museums with adults.

At the same time, there is also a mother and baby room in the exhibition hall, located next to the children's activity center on the first floor.

The entire exhibition hall is divided into 3 floors, with 6 large halls mainly concentrated on the first and second floors.

The first floor mainly focuses on the Maritime History Museum, Shipbuilding Museum, Seafarers' Museum, as well as the Fishing Boat and Fishing Special Exhibition Area;

The second floor houses the Navigation and Port Pavilion, the Maritime and Maritime Safety Pavilion (China Maritime Museum), the Military Navigation Pavilion, and the Maritime Sports and Leisure Special Exhibition Area.

Each of the six exhibition halls has its own unique features, but the first thing that attracts visitors upon entering is undoubtedly the lucky boat located in the atrium.

Mom, big boat! Big boat

Yes, this can be considered one of the treasures of the museum. When the nearly 30 meter high wooden "Lucky Ship" is close to you, you will be amazed. Although this ship was not the largest at the time, it was one of the typical Lucky Ships, with a pointed bow, wide stern, upturned ends, and high bow and stern, which can be recognized at a glance.

Fuchuan is one of the famous "Four Ancient Ships" in ancient China, and is also a general term for pointed bottomed coastal ships in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces.

Although the ship in front of us is just a replica, its craftsmanship should not be underestimated. It is a fully handmade real ship, and the key is that it can also be actually launched and sailed. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call it the treasure of the town hall here.

We went down the escalator from the second floor to the first floor, ready to start strolling from the first floor.

Mom, that's the eyes! "Well, a child's imagination is always rich enough to point to the decoration on the lucky boat and say it's the eyes. Hmm... Although it does look quite similar.

The children are great, "the tour guide continued on the topic." In the ocean, there is a saying that big fish eat small fish. In ancient times, the boat kept capsizing, so an old man thought it was a small fish attacking our boat. So as long as we draw two eyes, the small fish will think we are a huge fish and dare not attack us


original... What 'eyes'! The tour guide sister used another way of saying it, which made Kaikai understand the meaning of "boat eyes" and also showed us the ancient people's emphasis on the construction process of "lucky boats". It is not only a ship, but also reflects the unique customs and habits of that region at that time. Our ancestors believed that ships were also very spiritual. Different ships were primarily equipped with different "ship eyes", also known as "dragon eyes". The "eyes" facing downwards were used to catch fishing boats, indicating a focus on fishing; The 'eyes' look forward at the merchant ship, indicating a clear path, which has a profound meaning.

Fuzhou Ship can not only be viewed from afar, but also appreciated up close. During the current epidemic, only 10 people can visit the ship at a time, so it is necessary to queue up to get on board. In order to take the baby to see this ancient "behemoth", it is naturally worth waiting for a while.

In no time, it was our turn to take the escalator to the entrance of the main deck of the ship and get up close to see the shipbuilding techniques of ancient China's peak period of navigation.

There is also a cockpit on the deck, which houses a shrine dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, wishing everyone a safe journey during the voyage.

Little things are also full of curiosity about this large ship, looking east and west on the deck, feeling the imprints left by history.

Maritime History Museum

After visiting Fuchuan, we officially began to visit the first exhibition hall, the Maritime History Museum.

The Maritime History Museum is located on the east side of the first floor of the exhibition hall, showcasing the invention and evolution of Chinese maritime technology from three exhibition areas: ancient, modern, and contemporary.

Here, both adults and children can have a systematic understanding of the invention and evolution of Chinese maritime technology.

Entering the History Museum, the first thing you see is the evolution of ships, from gourds, leather bags, etc., crossing rivers through buoyancy, to canoes, and then wooden boats. Everything you see in books suddenly appears in the form of models in front of children, full of longing eyes.

In the History Museum, it is worth mentioning the Ming Dynasty's "Mixed One Map" and Zheng He's voyages to the West. The "Ming Dynasty Mixed One Map" was drawn based on Zheng He's sailing experience in the West. Zheng He was a famous navigator during the Ming Dynasty, leading more than 200 ships to more than 30 countries in South Asia and East Africa, and drew this "Ming Dynasty Mixed One Map". Whether it was the size of the fleet, the technology of navigation, or the international influence of navigation, they were all the largest in the world at that time.

In the exhibition area of ancient Chinese ship models, there are dozens of exquisite ship models in the collection, which cannot help but marvel at the superb shipbuilding skills and leading navigation technology of our ancient ancestors.

Crossing the ancient exhibition area and entering the modern exhibition area, China's modern maritime events, the tortuous development process and achievements of the modern maritime industry have become the main content here.

When children visit museums, they are always influenced by the museum atmosphere. The usually noisy child also quiets down and explores various "strange" new things in front of them.

Leaving the History Museum and entering the Shipyard, the Shipyard is divided into two parts: Ship Structure and Equipment, and Ship Manufacturing. The 1:6 high simulation section model of the large 10000 ton cargo ship in front of us makes the display of ship structure clearer and easier to understand.

There is a 270 ring screen cinema in the communication center, where you can learn about modern shipbuilding. Due to traffic restrictions, most of the time you need to queue up for a while. You can choose to come over during lunchtime, as there will be relatively fewer people.

And the seafarer's quarters behind it are rooted in life and close to it, so they are also more popular among children. This is a highly interactive exhibition hall, where in addition to the physical objects that reflect the work and living conditions of seafarers, there are also staff members explaining navigation knowledge and skills.

You can also experience the feeling of being a captain by operating the navigation simulator inside the seafarer's quarters. The undulating sea surface on the screen gives people a feeling of being in the ocean. If one could control the navigator with their own hands, the experience would definitely be even better!

The various sailor knots hanging on the wall were originally available for learning here, but they have also been suspended due to the pandemic.

Maritime Life Festival

At first, I felt quite regretful that due to the pandemic, most of the interactive experience projects in the exhibition hall, such as the 4D cinema, the Tianxiang Hall, and the children's activity center, which were very interesting experience areas, were closed. Fortunately, the Maritime Museum always has surprises!

When we went there, we happened to encounter the Maritime Life Festival inside the exhibition hall. Kaikai, who was already tired from taking over, instantly regained his energy upon seeing this exhibition area. After entering, he refused to leave again

The Maritime Life Festival is a highlight of the summer vacation at the China Maritime Museum, attracting many children every year due to its rich and interesting interactive experiences. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the China Maritime Museum, making it even more lively.

This year's Maritime Life Festival exhibition will be held from July 4th to July 10th, with July 6th being a Monday and the museum closed. Don't leave empty.

When entering the Maritime Life Festival, remember to first obtain a clearance card at the entrance, which indicates various game projects related to maritime content in the festival. Every time we play a project, we can collect a seal. There are about a dozen projects to play in the game, but as long as we collect 6, we can exchange them for small gifts and even participate in lucky draws. My son and I were too eager to pass the lucky draw and forgot to leave a souvenir for this challenge

There are quite a few activities in the Sailing Life Festival, such as DIY drifting bottles and boats that cultivate children's hands-on abilities. Not only can they make them on site, but they can also take the finished products home as souvenirs.

The children here have become quiet and focused on the works in their hands. Each staff member speaks softly and gently, guiding them while playing with them.

There are also immersive activities such as Popeye, exploring navigation mazes, and challenging the Little Iron Trio, all of which make children have a great time playing.

Although he didn't become a small captain in the seafarer's quarters, he unexpectedly discovered an electric boat sailing in the water here, which was absolutely cool. Kaikai picked up the remote control and began to control the boat in the water, which was so charming for a little boy.

At every punctuality, in addition to a lottery activity, there will also be interactions with the children on stage, singing and dancing together with them.

Kaikai was playing crazy inside, and it was only after much persuasion that he was pulled out to eat. There is a restaurant on the first floor of the museum, and we had lunch here at noon.

After eating and drinking, I came out of the restaurant and unexpectedly discovered a story of Shanghai and the ocean being staged in the temporary exhibition hall. The museum often holds various temporary exhibitions, adding extra highlights to the six exhibition areas.

Speaking of old Shanghai, it is intricately connected to the sea. Shanghai has always been known as the "Shanghai Beach". About 7500 years ago, most of Shanghai was still a vast ocean. The sediment brought by the Yangtze River accumulated along the coast, causing the land to continuously extend towards the ocean. After thousands of years of changes in land and sea, we finally have the current appearance of Shanghai.

Our familiar the 16 Pu, Shanghai Port, Shanghai Port, Huangbao Cart, Qipao and other products with Shanghai style decorate the exhibition hall with unique style.

As a Shanghainese, these exhibits have a strong plot. Although they are imported, they incorporated many Chinese elements in that era. Seeing these exhibits is like seeing the vibrant old Shanghai.

In the central hall on the first floor, there is also a model of a warship or aircraft carrier, which is a must pass for going up and down stairs.

The most famous one among them is China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. Due to the realistic model, both adults and children will stop here for a long time to witness the charm of the great navy.

The first floor has been thoroughly explored by us. Take the escalator and continue to explore the exhibition hall on the second floor.

The second floor mainly features modern maritime knowledge, including the Navigation and Port Hall, Maritime and Maritime Safety Hall, Military Navigation Hall, 4D Dynamic Cinema, and Astronomy Hall.

The Navigation and Port Hall constructed a realistic harbor scene using small models, and those who have been to Yangshan Deepwater Port will be quite familiar with this scene

This also showcases the marine environment, various instruments and meters used to ensure ship navigation from ancient times to the present, as well as a large number of cultural relics and physical objects reflecting ports and waterways.

The globe in front of us is very eye-catching to children. This is the Earth we live on, with a diameter of two meters. Only on the globe can we intuitively see how vast the ocean is, accounting for about 71% of the Earth's area.

Continuing forward, ahead is the Military Navigation Hall, which is divided into two main exhibition contents: naval construction and warship knowledge. Men are really interested in this part of the content. Various large-scale warship models made by professional naval modeling units cannot help but marvel at China's rapid and strong development.

The Navigation Sports Center is located on the east side of the second floor of the exhibition hall, showcasing physical objects of navigation sports, as well as donated items from Olympic champions and famous sailors.

The Maritime and Maritime Safety Pavilion is located on the west side of the second floor of the exhibition hall, consisting of two independent exhibition areas: Maritime and Maritime Safety.

If you have free time, you can also take your baby to the waterfront platform for a stroll. The scenery outside is great, and if you are careful, you will also find that the lighthouse outdoors and the one in the exhibition hall are almost replicas, except for their size, which are very interesting.

Practical Information

Address:
No. 197 Shengang Avenue, Lingang New City, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, near Dishui Lake.
Ticket prices have been adjusted after July 1, 2020:
Adults reduced to 30 yuan per person;
Primary, secondary, and tertiary students can pay 15 yuan per person with their student ID card;
Elderly people aged 60 to 69 with valid identification pay 10 yuan per person; Elderly people over 70 years old can visit for free.
Children under 6 years old or 1.4 meters (including 1.4 meters) tall (accompanied by parents) are free to visit.

Opening Hours
9: 30-16:00 (Admission stops at 3:30 pm); Closed on Mondays, except for holidays.

Traffic information
Bus routes:
Longgang Express (Huan Hu Xi San Lu Shen Gang Da Dao Station), San Gang Special Line (Huan Hu Xi San Lu Shen Gang Da Dao Station), Shen Gang 1 Road (Huan Hu Xi Er Lu Shen Gang Da Dao Station), Shen Gang 3 Road (Huan Hu Xi San Lu Shen Gang Da Dao Station).
Subway Line:
Take Metro Line 16 and get off at Dishuihu Station. Take the Shengang 1st Inner Ring Road (2 stops) and get off at the Shengang Avenue Station on Huanhu West 2nd Road.
Self driving route:
Outer Ring Road S20 (towards Pudong Airport) → Turn onto S2 Expressway (towards Donghai Bridge) → Exit at Dishui Lake to China Maritime Museum.