Iconic Customs House opens to public for urban art season

The Shanghai Customs House on the Bund, a landmark completed in 1927, opened part of its interior to the public for the first time in nearly a century on Sunday as the Huangpu section of the 2025 Shanghai Urban Space Art Season began.

The Customs House is one of the Bund's most recognizable buildings, known for its 79.2-meter clock tower and thick neoclassical columns at the entrance.

The building stands 79.2 meters tall, making it the tallest building on the Bund in the 1920s. Its clock, built by Britain's Whitchurch company, has a 5.4-meter-wide face – the largest in Asia.

Together with London's Big Ben and Moscow's Kremlin clock, it is known as one of the world's three great clocks. For decades, the tower's bell has been a fixture of Shanghai's cityscape and collective memory.

Inside the main hall, a crystal light column marks what was once designated the city's geographic zero point.

Above it, a dome of numerous mosaic tiles depicts ships and lighthouses, reflecting the maritime trade that shaped modern Shanghai.

The building also holds symbolic importance for the nation. The first red flag raised on the Huangpu River after Shanghai's liberation in 1949 flew from its mast.

The building later inspired the design of China's customs emblem, which combines the caduceus and a golden key.

The exhibition inside the building uses digital art and immersive design to explore themes of memory, architecture, and urban renewal.

Highlights include interactive installations about the building's history, models showing its restoration process, and an XR (Extended Reality) experience that lets visitors explore the Bund's past and future. Public feedback is being collected on the future development of the waterfront.

Organizers said the exhibition aims to strengthen the emotional connection between residents and the historic building before major restoration work begins.

Admission is free but requires an online reservation. Visitors can book through the Huangpu Planning Resources (黄浦规划资源) WeChat account.

Each WeChat ID may reserve for one visitor at a time, with a maximum of two visits during the exhibition period.

The Customs House will open in the evenings on weekdays and throughout weekends and public holidays, as it remains in use as an office during the day. Only the first and third floors are open; the clock tower is not included.

The Huangpu exhibition of the biennial Shanghai Urban Space Art Season will run until November 28, 2025. For inquiries, the public can call 021-63735953 on weekdays.

If you go:

Venue: Shanghai Customs House, Bund, Huangpu District

Dates: Through November 28, 2025

Hours: Weekday evenings; weekends and public holidays

Admission: Free, reservation required

Booking: Make reservation on the Huangpu Planning Resources (黄浦规划资源) WeChat account. Each WeChat ID may reserve for one visitor at a time, up to two visits in total. Reservation begins at 10am every day.

Check-in: Arrive within your reserved time slot and present your QR code at the entrance. Late arrivals forfeit the booking.

Open areas: First and third floors only; the clock tower remains closed.

Inquiries: 021-63735953 (Mon-Fri, 9:00-11:30am, 1:30-5:30pm)