How have Shanghai and Hamburg, two historic port cities, crossed oceans and continents to write a shared history over the past century?
On July 21, Shanghai - Hamburg: A Tale of Two Cities opened on the 1st Floor, East Building of Shanghai History Museum. Scheduled to run through October 18, the exhibition is organized by Shanghai History Museum in collaboration with the International Maritime Museum Hamburg, with special support from Shanghai Hanbao Business Management Consulting Co., Ltd. and NIVEA (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
(from right to left)
Zhou Qunhua, Director of Shanghai History Museum
Ye Miaomiao, Deputy Director of Shanghai Hanbao Business Management Consulting Co., Ltd.
Jin Lei, Deputy Director of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
Norbert Riedel, Consul General of Germany in Shanghai
Liu Guangyong, Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government
Xue Wei, Managing Director of Beiersdorf AG Northeast Asia
Together, they officially opened the exhibition.
Divided into two chapters—“Encounters Across Seas” and “New Chapter in Harmony”—the exhibition features a circular gallery design to trace the evolving relationship between the two port cities, from the 17th-century “Chinoiserie” in Europe to today’s partnerships built on mutual benefit.
Stories unfold from the arrival of the first Chinese merchant ship at Hamburg Port in 1731, to Shanghai’s growing connections with Germany in the 1930s; from German-made products such as Tenax cameras and Faber-Castell pencils becoming part of everyday life in Shanghai, to Beiersdorf securing its first Chinese order in 1905. A rich collection of rare artefacts, documents, and photographs chronicle centuries of exchange between the two cities in trade, technology, and culture.
Iconic objects from the 1930s, including NIVEA Creme in its classic blue tin and indigo blue indanthrene cloth qipaos, evoke shared memories of modern lifestyle in Shanghai. In 1984, Shanghai Daily Chemical Factory No. 2 and Beiersdorf launched China’s first foreign investment project in the daily chemical industry, followed by the debut of Shanghai-made NIVEA Creme in 1985.
From the Santana sedan to Metro Line 1, from the Maglev Train to the China-Europe Railway Express (Shanghai), the partnership between the two cities is expanding from value creation into broader horizons.
Openness lies at the heart of both port cities. Guided by the spirit of “embracing diversity, pursuing excellence, being open-minded and wise, and having a broad-minded and humble attitude,” Shanghai continues to thrive amid the waves of globalization.
From “Similarities and Differences:Life of Seoul Citizens” to “Ancestral Heritage: Continuity of Tradition,” and now to “Shanghai - Hamburg: A Tale of Two Cities”—Shanghai History Museum consistently leverages rigorous historical research and a global perspective to present urban stories with warmth, depth, and vision. Through exhibitions that connect the past with the future, the museum hopes to foster international dialogue and help Shanghai engage with the wider world through culture.
At the end of September, Shanghai History Museum will work with the AHK Greater China to present German Lifestyle Week - A Living Timeline 2026, an urban lifestyle event combining immersive activities, cultural interaction and consumer experiences.
Shanghai - Hamburg:
A Tale of Two Cities
July 21 – October 18, 2026
Shanghai History Museum
Free admission. No reservation required.
