Cultural charm

Getting trendy

Boasting over 17 million visitors in 2018, the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, has been particularly popular this year. Tickets to the museum were hard to get during the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, as the museum only allows 80,000 visitors a day. From Jan 5 to April 7, the museum hosted an exhibition featuring Lunar New Year traditions. The entire Forbidden City was adorned with lanterns, paintings and couplets to create an immersive experience.

"The museum has tried to stay relevant to contemporary visitors in every detail," says Ren Wanping, deputy director of the museum.

The museum has also seamlessly associated itself with "being trendy".

Lantern Festival in the Forbidden City, held for two consecutive nights, invited thousands of people from all walks of life, including model workers, couriers and sanitation workers to enjoy the magnificent views of the lit-up palace. It was the first time the museum had opened to the public for free at night in its 94-year history.

The Palace Museum is time-honored for its rich history and representation of traditions, says Liu Yican.

"It is also 'young' in my view because it serves and passes fine traditional culture to today's youth," the 26-year-old says.

Themed train

The National Museum of China has gone beyond showcasing and studying its collections to work with schools in Beijing, organizing tailored courses and tours for students. Beijing No 4 High School became the first high school to make a cooperation agreement with the museum in 2016. On this basis, the school has set up an optional course, integrating history, philosophy and the arts.

"We simulated the casting process of hufu, a tiger-shaped tally issued to generals for troop deployment, with wax," says student Zheng Hanyun, as she recalls a class on ancient bronze-casting techniques.