Changing role of museums in society

Museums are evolving from simply collecting and protecting cultural relics to improving people's well-being and becoming an important force in promoting social development, said museum experts at a parallel forum of the Beijing Culture Forum on Friday.

Themed "Cultural Heritage: Systematic Conservation and Creative Inheritance," the discussion gathered museums directors, experts of cultural heritage and scholars from home and abroad to discuss topics and problems facing the museum sector.

An Laishun, president of Asia-Pacific Regional Alliance of International Council of Museums, said that the most important part of museum studies always focus on its collections. However, people's interest in museums and cultural heritages has been growing across the globe.

With the growth of museums and the development of historical sites, these cultural institutions have now become a main way for people to learn about the past, help build shared memories, strengthen social bonds and create a sense of belonging for both groups and individuals. They also place new demands on the roles and functions of museums, said An.

China has been the fastest-growing country in the world in terms of the number of museums over the past 20 years. Whether it's the number of newly registered and recorded museums each year in the past decade or the number of exhibitions held annually by museums nationwide in the past five years, China ranks among the top in the world, he added.

According to Li Qun, director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, as of last year, there were 6,833 registered museums in China. From January to July this year, museums across the country received 780 million visitors.

Louis Ng Chi-wa, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, said that big changes have taken place in China's museum sector in the past three decades and young people are showing great passion in museums and the traditional culture behind.

"When it comes to museums, we used to focus a lot on the protection and study of their collections. Now, museums are closely tied to people's entertainment, and we need to consider their new role: improving people's well-being and contributing to the development of society as a whole," he said.

Last year, the Hong Kong Palace Museum received about 1.4 million visitors, with ticket prices set at 70 HK $ ($9) per person. The director found this surprising, as the city's population is less than eight million.

At the forum, many directors of museums in and outside of China shared their experience on how to provide good service to visitors by either using technologies such as AI, virtual reality and big data, or creating innovative public programs.

Two important cultural programs also announced its launching at the forum. The headquarters of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia, an organization initiated by China and joined by over 20 Asian countries, was officially settled down in Beijing. And the new branch of the National Water Museum of China is established at Bali, Indonesia.