Younger generation flocks to museums to celebrate Chinese culture

Tourists visit the Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum in Xining, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Aug. 2, 2023. (Xinhua/Pema Yangtso)

During her summer vacation, Gao Yong'e had just one day in Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province in northwest China, and she knew exactly where she was going to go: the Tibetan Culture Museum.

"I wanted to spend the day learning and experiencing the rich and diverse traditional culture of my country," said the 31-year-old, who hails from Anhui Province in east China.

In the museum, Gao's camera raced to capture the array of treasures – from Tibetan costumes to glass incense bottles, and even the ancient coins that once traversed historic trade routes. Inspired by the sheer beauty and historical significance, Gao clicked away in a blur.

The Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum boasts a collection of more than 50,000 works, spanning Tibetan medicine, literature, calligraphy, folk culture, art, and astrology. Many items are national-level cultural relics.

"The number of visitors to the museum has reached a historic high during the summer vacation. In July alone, nearly 200,000 people visited the museum, while the daily flow of tourists reach over 6,000 since August," said Dorje Gyal, deputy director of the museum.

"We hire out all the audio guides within an hour of opening each day, and there is an overwhelming demand for guided tours," he added.

Aside from exhibitions, the museum also features interactive activities, such as thangka painting and traditional costume photobooths, so visitors can get hand-on when exploring the vast collection.

Sun Xinyi and her mother made the museum their final stop after enjoying the breathtaking natural landscapes in the plateau province. "The unique Tibetan culture is an important part of our Chinese culture, therefore, we should learn and understand it well," the nine-year-old said.

"Currently, more and more young people are enthusiastic about museums, consciously seeking to understand the profound historical heritage of our country. This is due to their identification with traditional culture, and this identification leads to their fondness," said Dorje Gyal. "The 'museum tourism fever' enriches cultural and tourism activities, demonstrating the charm and confidence of traditional Chinese culture."

Data from the provincial culture and tourism department showed that, in the first half of the year, Qinghai received nearly 18.22 million visitors, achieving tourism revenue of 16.23 billion yuan (about 2.27 billion U.S. dollars), representing a year-on-year increase of 98 percent and 146 percent compared to 2022.

Qinghai has a total of 41 museums, including 25 at the national level.