Museums, heritage sites see surge in visitors during summer holiday

Standing in the exhibition hall of the Taosi Site Museum in Shanxi province, tourist Zhu Yongxin listened in awe as the presenter spoke.

"It is amazing how our ancestors who lived 4,000 years before us already mastered exquisite crafting techniques, and even built grand cities like this," said Zhu, appreciating the exhibits.

Opened in November 2024, the museum sits on the northwestern edge of the Taosi relics site, the result of over four decades of archaeological work. The site is believed to be the remains of the capital city from the era of Yao and Shun, two Chinese sage emperors who ruled more than 4,100 years ago.

Like Zhu, many Chinese who chose to spend a few days traveling this summer have opted to visit museums and historical sites, seeking both leisure and knowledge.

In Liaoning province, the Liaoning Provincial Museum is also seeing a surge in the number of visitors.

Sun Linhao, a 14-year-old middle school student from Beijing, visited the museum with parents.

"This is my second visit to the museum," Sun said. "This time I want to see the picture of the auspicious cranes, a painting by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)."

According to Dong Baohou, deputy curator of the museum, it has recorded an average of 20,000 visitors daily in recent weeks. To accommodate this surge of interest, the museum extended its opening hours.

The Xixia Imperial Tombs in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region saw ticket bookings increase by 280 percent during this year's summer vacation compared with the same period last year.

In July, the tombs were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List, significantly enhancing their appeal to tourists.

Museums and cultural heritage venues have been rolling out a plethora of activities to improve visitors' experiences. The Shanghai Museum's exhibition, On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt, was open around the clock from Aug 11 to 17. This 168-hour cultural carnival also featured new book releases, Egyptian dance performances and interactive games.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. In this context, visiting museums, historical sites and revolutionary landmarks commemorating this hard-won victory has taken on special significance.

At a memorial hall in Shanxi, people visit exhibits featuring items such as a soldier's journal or a rusted rifle, which were relics from the Hundred-Regiment Campaign, a major operation during China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression to which the hall is dedicated.

According to local statistics, on July 12 and 13, the memorial hall received more than 10,000 visits. The Shanghai Songhu Memorial Hall for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression saw similar numbers.

Many visitors came to learn about the history and pay tribute to the martyrs who fell resisting aggression. Li Jiaxin, a 15-year-old from Shandong province, said he was shocked to learn how young some of the martyrs had been when they died.

"They were more or less my age, but were willing to give their lives to save the country. They were such noble people," Li added.

Visiting the memorial hall has special importance, one visitor said, noting that this piece of history must be passed down through generations.

Xinhua