Bringing history to life

To enable the young visitors to feel more involved, the museum set up an acting project. It produces various plays about those poets and their works, and invites children to perform in them.

Teenagers have to recite the poems in the play, get to experience the lives of the poets in person and, finally, make a short movie.

"Filming is a very attractive way to draw children. We've received a warm response and support from both parents and their children," says Dong.

The museum also offers shows and exhibitions via a bus that has been refitted to act as a mobile museum to serve children in rural areas. The mobile museum provides the same lectures and experiences to children who can't come to visit due to transportation and cost issues.

Dong says a museum's collection should not be limited to a fixed space, it should go to schools and public spaces to offer more opportunities for people to experience traditional culture.

"It's a good time for museums. People's passion for history is continually increasing. How we provide better services and offer more fun experiences to meet that demand will require effort and innovation," Dong adds.