In the 2006 Hollywood blockbuster Night at the Museum, main protagonist Larry Daley experiences a thrilling, action-packed night at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, when an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and unleash chaos onto the city. On May 18, another "Night" came to the Capital Museum in Beijing, but this time visitors could just enjoy a cloud tour.

The event, One Night at the Museum, showcased to the audiences not only new exhibitions of cultural relics, but also stage performances including drama, Peking Opera, and traditional Chinese dancing at the museum, the main venue for the national-level celebration of the 45th International Museum Day.

Alberto Garlandini, President of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), said at the opening ceremony of the event in Beijing on May 18 via video link, "[The museum industry] is going through the gravest crisis in its modern history with severe economic, social, and psychological repercussions."

Garlandini called on all museums to continue in the spirit of innovation and resilience and keep implementing digitalization and the creation of new hybrid forms of cultural experience and broadcasting.

The ICOM, a worldwide network of over 44,000 museum professionals at 20,000 museums in more than 138 countries, established International Museum Day in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society, and it has been gaining momentum steadily ever since.

Immersive experience

"The methods of showcasing museums can be diverse, and we can present museums in a different way," Yang Dandan, director of the evening tour, told Beijing Review.

Some 2,000 visitors attended the nighttime tour online, Yang said.

On the night of May 18, a new children's center was launched inside the museum, where children can learn more about the history of Beijing through painting, clay sculpting and other fun activities.

Next to the children's garden is the multi-functional hall, where a stage drama about Fan Jinshi was on display. Fan, 82, is a Chinese archaeologist renowned for dedicating her whole life to the Buddhist caves and relics in Dunhuang, northwest China, studying and preserving the Mogao Grottoes. Her work has greatly advanced the archeological and historical understanding of this cultural treasure, a renowned UNESCO World Heritage site in Gansu Province.

When moving up to the top floor, a floor exhibiting the folk customs of ancient Beijing, visitors traveled through time and space as actors wearing clothes of the last century were going about their routines, such as talking about small household affairs or doing handicrafts.

An audience-centered concept is important in the future development of the museum industry.

"In the last decade, the public has increased attention toward museums," Yang added. "As the theme of this year's museum day is 'the future of museums,' it provides us with the opportunity to reflect on how to serve different audiences."

Xu Xiaodong, Associate Director of the Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told Beijing Review, "A museum could pay more attention to specific audiences according to their own characteristics, as to give full play to its own advantages with limited resources."

According to Li Qun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said at the event on May 18 that museums should give more concerns to children, the elderly and people with physical challenges, and provide a friendly environment for all.

By late 2020, China was home to over 5,780 museums, ranking fourth in the world, following the U.S., Germany and Japan.

In 2020, China went through tough times due to the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme floods. Nevertheless, the nation's museum industry still managed to achieve a lot in terms of development. Museums across China hosted more than 29,000 exhibitions and recorded approximately 540 million visits on site, as well as hundreds of millions of visits online in 2020, Li added.

For example, Li continued, to coordinate with China's rural vitalization strategy, the museum sector could develop themed museums that display the beauty of village cultures, and cooperate with the tourism industry, to maximize the social influence as well as the economic benefits.

The themes and functions of the museum experience change with time. "However, we need to understand that the core purpose of museum sector never changes, that is to protect, study, present and inherit human civilization," Xu added.

  

Youth for creativity

During an interview with Beijing Review, Su Bomin, Deputy Director of the Dunhuang Academy China, said more and more young people are interested in culture, history and cultural heritage preservation. "Those who study painting, archaeology or history are often willing to work in museums, where they can improve their knowledge and understanding of traditional arts and culture."

At the youth forum, 13 young experts hailing from museums, universities, and scientific research institutes across the country imparted their experiences and insights on the development of museums in China.

"Young curators should build up confidence and deepen their understanding of museum concepts and exhibitions through long-term perseverance as to become a human bridge between museum and audience," Zhao Yong, a curator with the National Museum of China, said at the forum.

"Younger generations are entering the museum sector," Xu said. "And they know best about what piques the interests of their peers. They can provide solutions to convey their ideas through various ways. Younger generations are always the source of innovation." 

(Printed Edition Title: Night at the Museum)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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