Following major damage from flooding, it remains unclear when - or indeed if - this museum will reopen
Just around the corner from the
Jackie Chan Museum, the Matchbox and Brand Museum celebrates Shanghai’s business and advertising legacy with displays of classic ads, old packaging and, in particular, vintage matchboxes.
Shanghainese pride is on full display as collections of old biscuit cans, insect repellents and Shanghai lady posters chart the progress of the citys’s branding industry from the Qing dynasty to modern day. Along the way there are tributes to Shanghainese businessmen such as Yang Jichuan (the ‘King of the electric fans’) and Zhu Baosan (the ‘King of cooking oil’).
The building itself is worthy of note, too. One wall is decorated to look like a giant matchbox, while the entranceway is propped up by two enormous match pillars. The rolling grounds on the north bank of the Suzhou Creek (the museum is part of the creekside area’s significant redevelopment in recent years) also make for a pleasant stroll, as does the fantastic
Changfeng Park just across the road.
