The vase is glued securely to its base, and monitored by CCTV cameras, with security staff ensuring orderly visits.

Another piece in the new jade gallery also invites visitors to touch it and is made of 79 kilograms of unprocessed Hetian jade. Traditionally in China, people believed that frequently touching and feeling jade enhanced its warmth and luster.

By encouraging visitors to touch the jade and ceramic objects, Chu says the Shanghai Museum hopes to inspire interest in the history and culture behind them.

The jade gallery has also introduced an innovative lighting system, which makes use of micro spotlights on the side of star exhibits. The new system not only improves visibility of the patterns on surface of objects, but also helps visitors take better pictures.

"In the past, we thought of a museum as an academic institution mainly for the research and protection of artifacts. Now we realize more and more that it is an educational center, where people can experience and learn more about art," says Tang Shifen, Party secretary of the Shanghai Museum.

To enrich the visitor experience, the Shanghai Museum East has opened a new gallery for young visitors called Curio-City. There, children can use shovels and brushes to "unearth" objects on a simulated archaeological site, and place objects in scanners or under microscopes to view their internal structure, inscriptions and other details.

The museum has also moved part of its conservation lab to the new facility, where visitors are allowed to observe progress through a window, and are sometimes invited in to observe restorers at work. Over the coming three months, Zhang Peichen, a specialist in bronze objects at the Shanghai Museum, will be working on the restoration of a gilded Buddha statue dating to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) period.

"We have always worked behind the curtain. I hope people will be able to see that the restoration of artifacts is an interesting job that combines traditional techniques with modern technology," Zhang says.

In collaboration with the Jiushi Group, the Shanghai Museum has introduced a special bus route connecting the two branches of the museum. Visitors can take the bus from either venue at 11 am, noon, 1,2 or 3 pm between Wednesday and Sunday for the same cost as the metro ride.

The Shanghai Museum on People's Square is currently presenting The Glory of Ancient Persia: Treasures from Iran until Oct 7, and the widely anticipated exhibition, On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, will open to public on July 18 and run until August 2025.

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn