Virtual visits reveal museums' magic

"You can put photos about different museums' exhibits with the same theme or from the same dynasty in one post for detailed comparisons. It tests a microblogger's expertise because you need to have your own thoughts, and these posts are very popular."

She takes as an example the ancient Shu state that existed roughly 2,600 to 4,800 years ago, with its last capital in today's Chengdu, Sichuan province.

She says one can put photos about cultural relics from Sanxingdui Museum and Jinsha Site Museum together in one post, enabling netizens to more comprehensively understand the state's great civilization.

"When you visit a brick-and-mortar museum, you can see the real cultural artifacts but can only observe them from a distance, since they're often in glass display cases. Now, you can view them more clearly via online photos and enjoy their beauty when you're confined to your house," she says.