Long Museum

The Long Museum (Chinese: 龙美术馆; lit. 'Dragon Art Museum') is a private art museum in Shanghai, China, founded by billionaire collector Liu Yiqian and his wife Wang Wei. Established in 2012, it has grown from a single Shanghai location into a multi-site institution with branches in Pudong, the West Bund, Chongqing, and a planned site in Wuhan. The museum is distinguished by its status as one of China's largest and most prominent private museums, housing the extensive personal collection of its founders and playing a significant role in the development of China's private museum sector.

The Long Museum Pudong opened to the public on December 18, 2012, with architecture by Chinese designer and architect Zhong Song. On March 28, 2014, the Long Museum West Bund opened in the Binjiang-Xuhui District, becoming China's largest private museum at that time. The architecture was designed by Liu Yichun of Atelier Deshaus. A third location opened in Chongqing on July 22, 2016, with an inaugural exhibition by Olafur Eliasson. This branch occupies three floors of the Guohua Financial Centre, a building owned by Liu Yiqian that also houses banks and insurance companies. A Wuhan branch was scheduled to open in 2018. Wang Wei serves as director across the museum's locations.

The museum's collection spans traditional Chinese art, modern Chinese art from the Yan'an period through the Cultural Revolution to the 1980s modernization, contemporary Chinese art, and contemporary European art. The Chongqing branch additionally features objects from the Sichuan region. The Pudong location organizes its holdings across four floors: the ground floor contains educational facilities including a reading room, library, and auditorium; the first floor displays contemporary Chinese art alongside public amenities; and the third floor presents modern Chinese art in permanent exhibition. The collection reflects the founders' systematic approach to acquiring works across historical periods and geographical boundaries.

The most celebrated work in the Long Museum's collection is Amedeo Modigliani's Nu couché (Reclining Nude), acquired for $170.4 million. At the time of its purchase, this ranked as the third most expensive painting ever sold at auction. The museum has also presented significant temporary exhibitions, including James Turrell's Immersive Light in 2017, the 2017-18 Asian Impression: Chinese, Japanese and South Korean Contemporary Art Exhibition, and The Smoke of the Brush: Ming and Qing Dynasties Painting and Calligraphy from Long Museum Collection in 2018.

The Pudong location covers 10,000 square meters across four floors. The West Bund building encompasses 33,000 square meters total, with 16,000 square meters of exhibition space, situated in the West Bund Culture Corridor. The Chongqing branch occupies 12,000 square meters within the Guohua Financial Centre in the Jiangbei district. Liu Yiqian articulated a deliberate strategy behind the Chongqing location, stating that 'China's elites need a solid art concept. It is of crucial importance to establish an art museum in a financial center.'

The Long Museum maintains two active Shanghai locations: Long Museum Pudong and Long Museum West Bund, with the West Bund site holding particular significance as China's largest private museum. The Chongqing branch opened in 2016, and a Wuhan location was planned for 2018. The museum operates under private ownership by Liu Yiqian and Wang Wei, with Wang Wei serving as director. The official website is http://thelongmuseum.org/. The West Bund location is also accessible through the Google Cultural Institute.