General Secretary Xi Jinping’s concerns | New stories in museums Liaoning Provincial Museum | Guizhou Provincial Museum of Ethnology | Xi Jinping

May 18th is International Museum Day, and this year’s theme is “Museums Dedicated to Education and Research.”

General Secretary Xi Jinping has always attached great importance to the work of museums, emphasizing the need to "do a good job in museums." He pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics and the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, improve the level of research, interpretation, display and dissemination of cultural relics, make cultural relics truly come alive and become an important part of strengthening socialism. The profound nourishment of spiritual civilization construction has become an important business card for expanding the international influence of Chinese culture.

Museums across our country have innovated and practiced in accordance with the requirements of the General Secretary and achieved remarkable results.

["Cultural relics embodying the traditional culture of the Chinese nation must be well protected and managed, while research and utilization must be strengthened" - General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the Xi'an Museum in February 2015]

The gilt-copper silkworms that witness the continuation of civilization, the Duhu Fu that displays superb skills, and the golden monster that demonstrates the integration of cultures... On May 18, the Qin and Han Pavilion of the Shaanxi History Museum will officially open, "The Unification of the World - Qin and Han Civilization Theme Exhibition" There are many exhibitions waiting for the audience.

A panoramic view of the Qin and Han Pavilion of Shaanxi History Museum taken on May 13. Photo by reporter Li Yibo

"This is the first thematic museum in my country that displays the Qin and Han civilizations in a panoramic manner. We have worked hard to select the essence from the vast sea of ​​cultural relics and historical materials to display the charm of the Qin and Han civilizations," said Hou Ningbin, director of the Shaanxi History Museum.

The museum organized professional forces to conduct in-depth research, breaking the tradition of displaying in chronological order, and selected more than 730 cultural relics from the collection of more than 1.7 million cultural relics. It adopted the narrative method of "big history and small topics" and used multimedia devices to coordinate with the cultural relics. From six sections including politics, economy, and culture, the outstanding contributions of Qin and Han civilizations are explained.

Thousands of miles away, there is an endless stream of tourists at the Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum. This is the country's first museum specializing in Northern Qi murals built on the original site. It was officially opened in December last year. The murals in the tomb of Xu Xianxiu, King of Wu'an in the Northern Qi Dynasty, which dates back more than 1,400 years, are full of pictures of banquets, travels, and ceremonial processions.

This is an expanded view of the murals in Xu Xianxiu’s tomb. Photo courtesy Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum

Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum extracts character elements from Shanxi Northern Dynasty murals to show the national integration and cultural exchanges at that time. Photo courtesy Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum

The historical characteristics of the nearly 400 years of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties are highlighted by "cultural convergence and national integration." To vividly represent this theme, Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum cooperated with a number of experts. "We specially designed the unit 'Hu Customs and Customs', extracting important elements from multiple Northern Dynasty tomb murals unearthed in Shanxi, and introducing Hu people, Hu clothes, Hu music, Hu businessmen, etc. by category." One of the experts, Shanxi Museum said An Ruijun, associate research librarian.

The basis of research utilization is conservation. "From simple canvas tents and color steel plate houses to the current museum, scientific protection has gradually increased over the past 10 years." said Wang Jiang, director of the Taiyuan Northern Qi Mural Museum.

Changes in exhibition concepts and methods reflect the rise in the level of cultural relic protection, collection research, and exhibition display in museums across the country. In recent years, museums in various places have deeply explored the connotation of China's excellent traditional culture and strive to present Chinese culture in a comprehensive, authentic and three-dimensional way.

["Perform the educational function of museums well" - General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized when participating in the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation at the National Two Sessions in March 2024]

With flowing skirts and graceful dancing postures, more than a dozen "goddesses" "came down" from ancient paintings. Their professional performances won rounds of applause from the audience. During this year’s May Day holiday, the Liaoning Provincial Museum and the Liaoning Song and Dance Troupe rehearsed innovative dance works around the national treasure "Song Dynasty's Copying of Gu Kai's Luo Shen Fu Tu".

On May 4, professional actors from the Liaoning Song and Dance Troupe performed the dance "Luo Shen Fu Tu" adapted from the famous paintings collected by the Liaoning Provincial Museum at the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Photo courtesy of Liaoning Provincial Museum

"We will also introduce other national treasure dances." Wang Xiaowen, director of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, said, "We need to find more ways to 'bring life' the cultural relics in the collection in order to broaden the number of people we serve and give full play to the educational function of the museum."

You Tian, ​​a third-year student from Qishan No. 1 School in Shenyang, fell in love with cultural relics from the handmade works in the museum. In 2023, she participated in the "I am the National Treasure Narrator" event of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, narrating the national treasure cultural relic "Song Kesi Zhu Kerou Peony Page" and won the first prize. "In the museum, I learned a lot of knowledge that I can't learn in textbooks," You Tian said.

In the Guizhou Provincial Museum of Ethnology, librarian and curator Wang Xiaojia is preparing for the latest social education "going out" and making intangible cultural heritage "alive" activities: leading more than 20 museum enthusiasts to Miao Village to experience the national intangible cultural heritage on the spot. Miao batik technique.

"Battik bright cloth needs to be refined over time to completely integrate the plant dyes with the fabric fibers, so that it can be smooth and shiny, and will not fade when exposed to water." Wang Xiaojia said that this is the significance of "local protection" of intangible cultural heritage, "immerse yourself in the scene and experience the extraordinary With the folk wisdom and life philosophy behind the legacy, cultural confidence will arise from the heart." Up to now, the Guizhou Provincial Museum of Ethnology has carried out hundreds of social education activities.

Colorful Miao embroidery raw materials and embroidery pieces displayed in the Guizhou Provincial Museum of Ethnology. Photo by reporter Yang Xin

In February 2024, the masses carried out intangible cultural heritage handicraft experience activities such as patchwork and rubbings under the leadership of teachers from the Guizhou Provincial Museum of Ethnology. Photo provided by interviewee

"Activities like this inspire me a lot," said Suo Min, a museum enthusiast and deputy dean of the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Guiyang University of Humanities and Science. The Guizhou Provincial Museum of Ethnology proactively connected with Suo Min and effectively deepened the cooperation between the museum and the school. With the support of the museum, the college designs and develops intangible cultural heritage skills courses and innovation and entrepreneurship courses. "Intangible Cultural Heritage in Museum Colleges" allows students to go deep into the cultural scene and grow into new forces in intangible cultural heritage innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2023, the intangible cultural heritage innovation project of Suo Min students won the gold medal in the Guizhou Provincial Finals of the 9th China International "Internet" College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition.

At present, museums in various places are enriching research projects, innovating interactive methods, and developing cultural and creative products. "New ways of playing" are emerging one after another, and they are becoming more and more popular. Data released in 2023 show that the total number of museums nationwide will reach 6,565, with a free admission rate of more than 90%. According to incomplete statistics from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, during this year’s May Day holiday, more than 6,000 museums across the country had more than 50 million visitors, reaching the highest level for the same period in history.

One hotel, one city. Online exhibitions, VR museum tours, museum wonder nights...many museums have also moved their exhibitions online, and combined with a variety of themed activities, allow tourists to encounter national treasures and explore the unknown at their fingertips. Museums are becoming an important platform for lifelong learning for all.

[“Museums are important halls for the protection and inheritance of human civilization. They are bridges connecting the past, present and future, and play a special role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among world civilizations.” - In November 2016, President Xi Jinping told the International Museum High-Level Forum pointed out when sending a congratulatory letter]

In early summer, in the sunny Forbidden City, the rising temperature cannot stop the enthusiasm of tourists. Amid the surging crowds, the Wenhua Palace located in the east wing of the Forbidden City is quiet and peaceful - tourists hold their breath and slow down to "encounter" the Sino-French cultural exhibition "The Forbidden City and the Palace of Versailles".

In a letter from Louis XIV to Emperor Kangxi, the "king's mathematician" sent to China was called "a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship"; a French porcelain vase with Chinese characters is placed in the private room of Queen Louis XV In the "Chinese Hall"; with the help of French glassmakers, Qing palace glass production reached its peak...

On April 1, the audience visited the porcelain prints of Emperor Qianlong collected in the Palace of Versailles. Quick photo by reporter Jin Liang

The dialogue across mountains, seas and time does not stop there. Gandhara Art Exhibition, "Belt and Road" Cultural Relics and Archaeological Cooperation Exhibition, China and West Asia Ancient Civilization Exchange Exhibition... In the Palace Museum, cultural relics exhibitions from all over the world are frequently displayed. "Bringing in" and actively "going out". According to incomplete statistics, in the past ten years, the Palace Museum has organized more than 50 cultural relics exhibitions abroad and in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and participated in more than 20 overseas exhibitions. It has ranked first in the overseas influence list of national museums for three consecutive years.

Expanding overseas cooperative archaeological projects, establishing an international academic exchange platform, and launching the "Taihe Scholars Program"... Nowadays, becoming a "Chinese cultural reception room for exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations" is one of the four major visions for the development of the Palace Museum.

Shanghai, on the coast of the East China Sea, and Venice, the "water city" in Italy, which is six hours apart from each other with a time difference of 6 hours, are discussing history based on matter and starting a "dialogue across time and space."

On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death, the Shanghai Museum and the Venice Municipal Museum Foundation jointly organized the "The World of Marco Polo" exhibition. "Marco Polo was one of the first foreign explorers to introduce China to the world. Through this distinctive character, we use cultural relics to lead the audience to explore the 'Silk Road' and open up a space-time picture of mutual learning among civilizations. "Said Tang Shifen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Museum.

"The World of Marco Polo" exhibition at the Doge's Palace in Venice. Photo provided by the interviewed institution

Darrenli, director of the cultural section and curator of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, said: "Many previous exchange exhibitions were like 'monologues' - each civilization tells its own story. Together with Shanghai Expo, we have created two Italian and Chinese civilizations. real dialogue and exchange.”

The exhibition is currently on display at the Doge's Palace in Venice and will be transferred to Shanghai Expo in November this year. Statistics show that since 2016, about 70% of Shanghai Expo's overseas exhibitions are organizers or co-organizers, reflecting the upgraded and iterative "curatorial power" behind China's "going overseas" cultural exhibitions.

"Shanghai Expo is implementing the 'Big Museum Plan.'" Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum, said that in the future, the main museum in People's Square will be transformed into the "World Civilization Museum" and become my country's first museum to regularly display types of world civilizations, continuing to strengthen its curatorial capabilities. and global resource allocation capabilities.

In recent years, museums across the country have actively promoted global cultural exchanges and mutual learning, cooperated and exchanged with world-renowned museums, continuously introduced many high-quality overseas exhibitions, and at the same time strived to promote Chinese culture to "go global." The "golden business card" of cultural relics exhibition for international communication will surely shine brighter and brighter.