The Archministry of Ultraviolet

Huh?
If you've never watched the movie Ultraviolet , you're missing out on one of the all-time greatest surreal, ass-kicking, blood-fest B-movies of all times (right up there with Kill Bill). And staring one of my favorite action heroines, Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Resident Evil [all], The Messenger, etc).

At any rate, here is the Vice-Cardinal Ferdinand Daxus' Archministry from that movie (And We Were THERE):

Actually, this is the Shanghai Science & Technology Museum

My wife and I went there for a day this last trip to China and as I was taking pictures, I felt a familiar, Déjà Vu-ish sensation. It wasn't until we returned to the states and I caught Ultraviolet on TV again that I recognized where we had been. In fact, much of that movie was shot in Shanghai around some of its ultra-modern structures to help give it that futuristic look and feel.

The sphere, upper-right, is their 4D movie theater

As expected, the museum is highly kid-oriented, and so by the time we left late that afternoon, it was packed with the little rug-rats (even though it was a Sunday), all decked out in their school uniforms.
 
Different floors had different themes: Nature, Technology, Science, Space, etc., with a lot of interactive kiosks and displays.

One of many full size Diorama displays

 

Play Go against a Robot

 

Watch a Choreographed Dance

They had a 4D movie theater (3D plus moving seats) but it was always full with long waiting lines. Food courts were in the lower level and gift/novelty shops scattered about. So you could spend your whole day there, if you wanted. I think we spent about 3-4 hours walking around the place. Most all of the displays and featurettes were in Chinese and English, so I didn't have to continuously bug my wife for translations. That was nice (no, I still can't read Chinese...)

Like I said, it was very kid oriented, but we still had a great time. It was one of those places I'd wanted to see on our previous trips, but never got a round to.

Wonderful 4-Dragon Globe Sculpture outside the Museum

On our way out, we spied a few shops on the opposite side of the courtyard and decided to take a peek. Boy were we supprised!

An entire Chinese style shopping mall underground! A maze of twisty little passages, all alike. Wander around long and far enough and it meets up with a subway line to take you back home - with all your procured consumables.