(Observation of the Two Sessions) How can "going to the museum" become a way of life for more people?

　　China News Agency, Beijing, March 12th, title: "Going to the museum", how can it become a way of life for more people?

　　Author Xie Yanbing Xing Chong

　　Museums are important places to protect and inherit human civilization.

This year's government work report emphasizes, "Implement cultural projects to benefit the people, and open public libraries, museums, art galleries, and cultural centers to the public free of charge."

Free opening provides the public with inclusive "welfare coupons", but in addition to eliminating the barriers to entry, how can the museum further integrate into the daily life of the public?

During the two sessions of the country, many representatives made suggestions on this.

Data map: The National Museum of China's "Ancient Chinese Food Culture Exhibition" was newly launched and resumed to the public. Visitors took photos of the drinking vessel of the Shang Dynasty, the Tongjue.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Tian Yuhao

Build a multi-structural system

　　Data show that as of the end of 2021, the number of museum institutions across the country is 5,772.

While the total number of Chinese museums is developing rapidly, there is still room for improvement in the overall system construction.

Only by building a multi-level, all-type, wide-ranging museum structure system can more people look forward to "going to the museum".

　　Only by continuously deepening the structural reform of the supply side of museums can we better meet the diverse needs of different groups.

"The audience is still mainly concentrated in large and historical museums, which shows that the overall structure and functions of the museum system still need to be optimized." Wang Chunfa, deputy to the National People's Congress and director of the National Museum of China, said.

　　In terms of museum system construction, Wang Chunfa gave an example that the National Museum has made many attempts to support the construction of other museums and promote the development of regional museums.

For example, with the gradual advancement of the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, the museums of the three places have also strengthened their cooperation and jointly held activities such as "A Thousand Miles of Ships-The Grand Canal Cultural Exhibition", which achieved good response.

　　At the same time, the types of museums should also be more diverse.

Wang Jun, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of Peking University People's Hospital, pointed out that the current medical museums in China are small in scale, small in number, low in openness, simple in display content, and not strong in representation. Lead and drive the improvement of the health literacy of the whole people."

Song Yan, deputy to the National People's Congress and executive deputy curator of the Six Dynasties Museum, also suggested building a Yangtze River Culture Museum in Nanjing to promote the culture of the ancient capital of the Yangtze River.

Expand the breadth of service groups

　　According to the survey, the current main passenger flow of Chinese museums is students, tourists and professionals with a certain knowledge base, especially the "post-95s" who have become the "main force".

However, the transformation and development of Chinese museums needs to give more consideration to caring for groups other than mainstream audiences, and build a more "down-to-earth" public cultural space.

　　For example, in the face of the current situation where the aging population continues to deepen, the museum needs to carry out "aging-friendly" design for the exhibition space and the layout of the exhibition content.

An Ting, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Democratic National Construction Association, proposed that during non-prime hours on weekdays, museums can consider designing consumption scenes for the "silver-haired group" and providing services suitable for the elderly.

　　Museums have also increasingly become "baby walking resorts" in the minds of urban parents. However, the lack of children's museum education in rural areas and other remote areas still exists.

　　Liu Wanming, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy director of the National Museum of China, suggested that online museum open courses should be included as compulsory courses in the compulsory education stage of primary and secondary schools nationwide. Areas with mature conditions can combine the construction of rural museums to try to establish immersive cultural and museum teaching spaces. Organize a variety of offline activities to allow more children to enter the museum.

Enhancing the vitality of technological empowerment

　　From the Henan Spring Festival Gala "Tang Palace Night Banquet" that "resurrected" Tang figurines to reproduce the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, to various painting digital immersion exhibitions that constantly innovated the viewing experience, digital technology has repeatedly "out of the circle" of the museum, allowing the outside world to see that technology has empowered the museum more space possible.

　　Du Haijiang, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of the Palace Museum, suggested that to improve the museum's scientific and technological support level, it is necessary to strengthen the research on key technologies of digitalization and virtualization. More emphasis is placed on reconstruction, immersion, and interaction, so it requires strong technical support such as 5G networks, virtual reality, and 3D visualization.

　　Today, advanced technologies such as blockchain, 8K ultra-high-definition shooting, and 5G+AR have been applied by some museums.

Some commentators pointed out that technology and culture are symbiotic, and museums can further build a digital cultural service system, continue to make efforts in developing digital cultural products, launching digital collection IP, etc., so that the ancient style and ancient meaning that have been circulating for thousands of years can connect history and the present, and become the pursuit of the public. Trend "language".

　　Wang Chunfa said that the National Museum plans to launch a smart exhibition hall, which is expected to open to the public in April 2023.

"At that time, everyone can see in the smart exhibition hall how to collect data on cultural relics, monitor the status of cultural relics, and display the diversified presentation of cultural relics." (End)