[Video] China’s museums are taking visitors back in time
Would you like to step into the past and experience life as it was in the Tang dynasty? China’s museums are using innovative methods, from immersive role-playing games to digital reconstructions, to transport visitors back in time. Here, history is not just a page in a textbook but a multi-sensory experience. ThinkChina’s Yi Jina finds out more.
Amid growing cultural confidence and increasing interest in China’s heritage, a museum craze is sweeping the country. Beyond the traditional display of relics, museums across China are embracing new innovations to enhance the visitor experience, further fuelling this cultural craze.
At the Henan Museum, visitors can enjoy musical performances featuring restored ancient instruments, while the Yingtianmen Site Museum offers historical role-playing games that immerse visitors in ancient times. In 2022, the National Museum of China introduced Ai Wenwen, its first digital employee — a virtual human curator who acts as a storyteller, bridging digital representations with the public. Other museums are also integrating cutting-edge technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, holograms and 3D reconstructions, bringing ancient wonders back to life and restoring lost cultural treasures to their original splendour.
These innovations provide a level of immersion that traditional exhibits cannot, making cultural heritage more accessible and engaging for modern audiences, while reshaping the future of cultural engagement. With over 6,800 museums across the country, China’s museums have already attracted 940 million visitors in the first eight months of 2024, according to figures from the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
![[Big read] When the Arctic opens, what happens to Singapore?](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/thinkchina/da65edebca34645c711c55e83e9877109b3c53847ebb1305573974651df1d13a)
