Observer Report
Beijing
Beijing has set the goal of building “a city of museums” and launched 94 theme activities to mark the 44th International Museum Day which was celebrated worldwide on May 18.
With 187 registered museums, Beijing has been immersed in a thick cultural atmosphere and become more attractive because of various forms of activities held by museums.
Many museums in Beijing have launched rich cloud activities during the celebrations of the International Museum Day this year, including online exhibitions and live streaming shows.
“The live streaming show is terrific. There should be more shows like this,” remarked a viewer, referring to the live streaming show held on May 16 by Lao She Memorial Hall in Dongcheng district of Beijing. The one-hour live show was watched by over 3.32 million people online.
A total of ten memorial halls and former residences of celebrities in Beijing, including former residence of Soong Ching-ling and Beijing Lu Xun Museum, had launched live streaming shows one after another from May 13 to 18 to give viewers guided “cloud tours” of former residences of famous people and help them understand the stories of these celebrities.
The Palace Museum has launched an online exhibition on the theme “Celebrating the Spring Festival in the Forbidden City”, while National Museum of China held a grand online exhibition featuring the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up.
Some museums, such as the Zhoukoudian Site Museum, the Museum of Chinese Gardens and Landscape Architecture, Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum, and Beijing Dabaotai museum of Western Hantombs, have offered 360-degree panoramic view of the museums online.
In addition, museums including China National Film Museum, Overseas Chinese History Museum of China, Beijing Confucian Temple and the Imperial College, and the Ancient Bell Museum in Dazhong Temple have launched live streaming shows online, providing viewers with “one-on-one” guided tours of the museums.
Museums in Beijing have based their activities on the two key words of “diversity” and “inclusiveness” to echo the International Museum Day’s theme this year,trying to provide personalized services for different people and explore the connection between museums and different groups.
