(Ecns.cn) – Beijing now ranks second globally for its number of museums, following behind London. As of 2009, there were 3,020 museums in China, including 328 private ones. Every year, over 100 new museums are added, many of them open to the public for free.
Students from a Beijing primary school learned fire safety during a recent visit to the China Fire Museum. As one of the three newly-opened museums in Beijing this year, the China Fire Museum receives hundreds of visitors every work day, where they can learn about firefighting and safety.
Chen Xiejun, curator of the Shanghai Museum, said that China's museums are not only about historical objects. Museum themes in China range from paintings to movies, music, customs, burial sites, relics, heavenly bodies, and even childhood, he said.
From 2008 to 2010, the central government appropriated 5.2 billion yuan ($803.9 million) to support museums and memorial halls. Currently the number of museums with free attendance has reached over 1,700, about 58% of the total.
In the next ten years, the cultural industries are expected to see a golden period of development in China, and more residents can expect museums near their homes.
