Largest museum now open to public
Source: Xinhua |
March 2, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's National Museum, on the east side of Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing, reopened yesterday after nearly four years of renovations.
The museum has been expanded to 191,900 square meters with 49 exhibition rooms, making it the largest museum in the world in terms of floor area.
The museum holds a collection of more than 1 million cultural relics, according to its official website.
One of the museum's most valuable items is the Si Muwu bronze quadrate vessel, 1.33 meters high and weighing about 833 kilograms. It is around 3,500 years old.
Until March 16, the museum is only open to visitors in groups but from March 17 both groups and individual visitors can enter.
A maximum of 3,000 visitors will be allowed in each day - 2,000 groups and 1,000 individuals.
Group visitors will need to book in advance while individuals can get tickets at the entrance.
The museum will host two regular exhibitions, one featuring ancient China and the other, entitled the Road of Rejuvenation, about Chinese history since the Opium War in 1840, said Huang Chen, a publicity official with the museum. Admission for the two exhibitions is likely to be free, he said.
The museum plans to host several special exhibitions on Chinese ancient arts, such as bronzes, porcelain, jade, Buddhist statues, furniture of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), ink painting and calligraphy, he said.
"The museum will hold various functions. And, besides holding exhibitions, we will conduct archeological research, provide educational services for the public and carry out cultural exchanges with other museums," Huang said.
The new museum has a theater with 800 seats, a conference hall with 300 seats and a studio with an area of 600 square meters.
In the conference hall, visitors can watch digital films or documentaries, Huang said.
The museum also has a large space for visitors to experience history and traditional arts through interactive programs.
The museum's renovations began in March 2007 and finished at the end of last year. The project cost 2.5 billion yuan (US$367 million).
"The renovation project is significant for promoting publicity and education of the socialist core value system, conserving cultural heritage, enhancing cultural exchanges with other countries, and boosting the development of Chinese culture," Huang said.
The Road of Rejuvenation, illustrating the ups and downs of China on the road of national revival, features more than 1,280 valuable relics and about 870 pictures.
In its latest move to improve public cultural services, the Chinese government announced earlier this year that visitors would not have to pay to enter the country's public art galleries and libraries in two years.
By the end of 2011, there will be no charge for people to enter public art galleries at state and provincial levels.
By the end of 2012, all public art galleries will be free for everyone to enjoy.
The latest move came after the nation had offered free access of its museums and memorial halls to the public in 2008.
The museum has been expanded to 191,900 square meters with 49 exhibition rooms, making it the largest museum in the world in terms of floor area.
The museum holds a collection of more than 1 million cultural relics, according to its official website.
One of the museum's most valuable items is the Si Muwu bronze quadrate vessel, 1.33 meters high and weighing about 833 kilograms. It is around 3,500 years old.
Until March 16, the museum is only open to visitors in groups but from March 17 both groups and individual visitors can enter.
A maximum of 3,000 visitors will be allowed in each day - 2,000 groups and 1,000 individuals.
Group visitors will need to book in advance while individuals can get tickets at the entrance.
The museum will host two regular exhibitions, one featuring ancient China and the other, entitled the Road of Rejuvenation, about Chinese history since the Opium War in 1840, said Huang Chen, a publicity official with the museum. Admission for the two exhibitions is likely to be free, he said.
The museum plans to host several special exhibitions on Chinese ancient arts, such as bronzes, porcelain, jade, Buddhist statues, furniture of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), ink painting and calligraphy, he said.
"The museum will hold various functions. And, besides holding exhibitions, we will conduct archeological research, provide educational services for the public and carry out cultural exchanges with other museums," Huang said.
The new museum has a theater with 800 seats, a conference hall with 300 seats and a studio with an area of 600 square meters.
In the conference hall, visitors can watch digital films or documentaries, Huang said.
The museum also has a large space for visitors to experience history and traditional arts through interactive programs.
The museum's renovations began in March 2007 and finished at the end of last year. The project cost 2.5 billion yuan (US$367 million).
"The renovation project is significant for promoting publicity and education of the socialist core value system, conserving cultural heritage, enhancing cultural exchanges with other countries, and boosting the development of Chinese culture," Huang said.
The Road of Rejuvenation, illustrating the ups and downs of China on the road of national revival, features more than 1,280 valuable relics and about 870 pictures.
In its latest move to improve public cultural services, the Chinese government announced earlier this year that visitors would not have to pay to enter the country's public art galleries and libraries in two years.
By the end of 2011, there will be no charge for people to enter public art galleries at state and provincial levels.
By the end of 2012, all public art galleries will be free for everyone to enjoy.
The latest move came after the nation had offered free access of its museums and memorial halls to the public in 2008.
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