A total of 950 art exhibitions took place in Shanghai last year and attracted 6.21 million people, according to the first annual report on the development of art museums in Shanghai.

According to the report released on Aug 7 by the municipal administration of culture and tourism, Shanghai had 96 art museums across all 16 districts in the city as of the end of 2021, making it the city with the most art museums in China. Twenty-five of the museums are State-owned and had received 3.16 million visitors last year. The 71 private establishments received 3.05 million people. Seven new art museums were added last year.

Among the most popular art museums in town, the China Art Museum Shanghai received 603,000 visitors, while the West Bund Art Museum in Xuhui district welcomed 583,000. This was followed by the Museum of Art Pudong (379,000), and the Bund One Art Museum in Huangpu district (330,000).

These museums hosted 3,953 public education projects last year, a significant 44.5 percent increase from the year before.

Sixty-six art museums are open for free, and another 10 only charge admission fees for special exhibitions.

This is the first time the municipality has released an annual report about the development of its art museums. The city is also drafting a set of new regulations on the administration and development of its art museums, which could be the first of its kind in China.