Adventure awaits after dusk

As the summer heat settles over Beijing, the Natural History Museum of China is casting a magical glow after dark. With its highly anticipated "Night at the Museum" program launched on July 16 and running until Aug 15, the museum has transformed into an evening hub of science, art and discovery.

Extending its opening hours till 9 pm, the program offers museumgoers a unique opportunity to explore the marvels of nature under the cloak of dusk.

"This year's Night at the Museum retains our classic activity categories while introducing innovative formats," says Wang Shiwen, deputy Party secretary of the Natural History Museum of China. "It combines technology and culture, effectively bridging the gap between the public and the wonders of natural science."

One of the program's highlights is a spectacular light show projected on the museum's facade, presenting a sweeping visual journey through the Earth's epic 4.6-billion-year evolution. Viewers can trace the explosive burst of life during the Cambrian Period, witness the awe-inspiring reign of the dinosaurs, and observe the rise of mammals.

Besides illuminated walls, the program features an array of curated activities designed to captivate audiences of all ages through the evocative power of light.

From Wednesday to Sunday throughout the month, the museum is hosting an exhibition on bioluminescent plants. Visitors can catch faint greenish glows from plant-fungal partnerships and bioengineered flora in the dark and learn about the science behind their light-emitting properties.

For insect enthusiasts, themed tours are held every Wednesday and Saturday to unravel the fascinating relationship between insects and light, explaining mysteries like how fireflies use light to attract mates and why moths are lured to artificial illumination.

To make science more accessible for young audiences, the innovative puppet show Nezha Stirs the Sea: A Science Tale is being staged at the museum. This creative fusion of classic mythology with oceanography and geology uses Nezha's oceanic adventures to explain marine currents, interprets the Dragon King's waves as tectonic plates, and introduces crustacean armies' "magic tools" as metaphors for marine animal adaptations.

Adding a dose of interactive intrigue is the newly launched escape room themed on the ongoing Harmony through Time and Space: How Leonardo da Vinci Created Concord between His Artistic and Scientific World and the Natural World. Participants, assuming Renaissance personas, work together to solve puzzles, find clues hidden among the exhibits, and crack codes under the guidance of professional facilitators.

As a star event of the Night at the Museum program, an overnight adventure from 6:30 pm to 8 am every Friday and Saturday during the event month is offered to children between the ages of 5 and 12 accompanied by an adult. The price for tickets for the event is 1,198 yuan ($166.8) for one child and an adult.

Young adventurers will use flashlights to uncover hidden exhibit details, participate in hands-on activities tracing life's evolution, experience the 4D film Into the Depths, listen to bedtime tales of prehistoric giants, and play nocturnal nature games. At the end of the program, participants will sleep in tents surrounded by towering dinosaur skeletons.

Besides the Natural History Museum of China, many museums across the country have offered extended hours and special events this summer to enrich visitors' cultural lives during the school vacation.

Until Aug 17, the exhibition On Top of the Pyramid: The Civilization of Ancient Egypt at the Shanghai Museum will be open until 9 pm (except Mondays, when it is closed).During the final week, the museum will be open round the clock.

Meanwhile, Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, Henan province, is extending its hours from 5 pm to 8 pm from Tuesday to Sunday through Aug 24, with special exhibitions, interactive experiences and cultural markets.

The hashtag "night at the museum" has gone viral on microblogging platform Sina Weibo with about 28.09 million views. With its blend of cutting-edge visuals, immersive experiences, hands-on science, and creative storytelling, this summer promises a radiant season of nocturnal discoveries for museumgoers across China.