Summer vacation kindles passion for museum visits

For Li Jin, a 9-year-old from Beijing, the allure of an exhibition, featuring millennium-old bronze statues and golden masks from the ancient Sanxingdui Ruins, far surpasses that of the Transformers at the Universal Beijing Resort.

Li became fascinated by the history and culture of Sanxingdui three years ago after reading about it in a book. Upon learning about the exhibition in Beijing, he promptly included it in his summer vacation plans.

Despite the scorching summer heat and lengthy queues, hundreds of thousands of people, including Li and his grandmother, have flocked to the exhibition titled “Unveiling Sanxingdui and Jinsha of Ancient Shu Civilization,” held at a museum in eastern Beijing.

The exhibition showcases 265 pieces or sets of artifacts, including a remarkable golden mask adorned with turquoise eyes, a bronze sculpture of a kneeling figure with intricate details, and several newly unearthed items being exhibited for the first time.

Visitors attend the 14th China National Exhibition of Fine Arts at the new venue of the Zhengzhou Art Museum in Henan Province on July 12. Xinhua

Li visited the museum for two consecutive days and planned to visit again. “It was truly amazing and awe-inspiring. I couldn’t get enough of it on my first visit,” he said.

Soon after its launch weeks ago, the number of daily visitors reached 16,000 on weekdays, and during peak days on weekends, the number soared to an astonishing 33,000.

Tang Fei, head of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, said that the cultural relics on display reflect the wisdom and ingenuity of the ancient Shu people, showcasing the magnificence of Chinese civilization spanning 5,000 years.

Driven by people’s growing appreciation for history and ancient civilizations, visiting museums has become trendy.

When an exhibition focusing on ancient Egyptian civilization opened to the public in Shanghai on Friday, 200,000 early-bird tickets were quickly sold out, leaving little availability for summer vacation reservations.

In Beijing, visitors to the Palace Museum must secure tickets several days in advance.

Cultural and historical museums, along with cities boasting a rich heritage, have become must-visit destinations for tourists, said Dai Bin, president of the China Tourism Academy.

As of July 3, the volume of museum reservations nationwide this summer has witnessed a remarkable year-on-year surge of over 90%, according to data from the online travel agent Ctrip.

The tourism website Mafengwo said that 44.3% of museum visitors in the recent week were families with children, followed by college students, who made up 20.6%.

China has endeavored to explore the value of cultural relics and showcase its history by improving its museum system.

To better cater to a surging demand, an array of museums in Beijing, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Jiangsu and Hunan have announced that they will extend their opening hours.

Special nighttime events have been launched in cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai and Changzhou, providing youngsters with unique experiences.

“Night tours in museums not only enrich nightlife but also enable children to immerse themselves in a sea of cultural relics and acquire knowledge,” said Liu Guoqing, a Changzhou resident who brought his child to a nighttime event at a local museum.

According to official statistics, China now boasts over 6,800 registered museums nationwide, and last year, museums in China collectively received a record of 1.29 billion visits and hosted over 40,000 exhibitions.

The enthusiasm for museums has also reignited young people’s appreciation for ancient civilizations.

In recent years, archaeology, once viewed as an unconventional choice for high-achieving students, is gaining popularity among college applicants.

Shen Ruiwen, head of the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University, said that the school admits approximately 40 to 50 undergraduate students each year, many of whom have achieved high scores in the National College Entrance Exams.

“Children nowadays have more opportunities to visit museums from an early age, which warms them up toward archaeology,” Shen said, adding that economic growth has allowed more families to encourage their children to pursue careers they are passionate about.

“There are many theories and hypotheses about Sanxingdui. I’d like to delve deeper into this culture and perhaps I will develop my own theory in the future,” said Li, the boy from Beijing. (Xinhua)