Museum expo brings global practices to nation

As one of the most influential museum-related activities in China, the 10th Chinese Museums and Relevant Products and Technologies Exposition raised its curtain on Friday in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, focusing on such facilities' development in the digital era.

A total of 552 museums and enterprises are participating in the event. It features five themed sections, including the achievements of China's museums, the accomplishments of cultural and museum-related enterprises, as well as the development of digital museums.

The expo's theme centered on museum education, research and digitalization, especially regarding how to utilize digital technologies to provide good visitor experiences.

Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said at the opening ceremony on Friday that museums in China have made great achievements in digitalization. He stressed that digital technologies should be vigorously promoted to enhance visitors' experience.

Li said that the museum sector has developed rapidly in the past few years. As of 2023, there were 6,833 registered museums in China. From January to July this year, museums across the country received 780 million visitors.

"Museums have provided rich cultural products and experiences for visitors. With the help of digital technologies, we will offer better services," he said.

Walking in the expo's spacious halls, visitors were attracted to the exhibited museums, which presented impressive uses of high-tech to enhance the visitor experience.

The expo set up a special zone for museums and cultural institutions from France. It was the first time since its establishment in 2004 that it invited museums from overseas.

Jade Guyard, a sales manager from Museum Connections, which is based in Paris, France, said that some Chinese museums are doing well at digitalization, such as offering immersive shows and digitalizing their collections. This is what their counterparts in France are doing and museums there also hope to learn from and share their experiences with Chinese museums.

Museum Connections holds similar fairs in Paris to bring together museums and related companies from around the world. In January, Guyard welcomed a group of Chinese museum directors to Paris to visit its museum fair, including heads of the Henan Museum, the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the China Grand Canal Museum.

"Museums from China and France are facing some common challenges in the era of digitalization. I see their strong willingness to learn from and communicate with each other," said Guyard, who was in China for the first time to meet more Chinese museum directors for future cooperation. "Museums in France are really interested in what their Chinese counterparts are doing and how they do it."

Apart from the French exhibition, the expo is holding an academic seminar on museum accessibility for people with disabilities on Saturday. Co-organized with UNESCO, this marks the United Nations' cultural body's first systematic project focused on accessible museums. Representatives from institutions both in and outside of China will be invited to discuss pathways for the development of accessible museums. Another eight academic sessions will also be hosted during the four-day expo. Prominent Chinese museums — such as Beijing's Palace Museum and the Nanjing Museum in Jiangsu province — along with cultural institutions from overseas, will participate in these sessions to discuss topics involving digitalization and immersive exhibitions.

Liu Shuguang, head of the Chinese Museums Association, said that museums in China have made significant achievements in providing professional services and offering engaging public education programs.

Contact the writers at dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn