Tobacco museum defends educational status

The China Tobacco Museum in Shanghai refuted recent criticism challenging its status as a national educational base, emphasizing that the museum does not promote smoking.

A string of local media reports nationwide sparked debate that the China Tobacco Museum in Yangpu district should not have local status as a "patriotic education demonstration base" because it sends the wrong message to young people.

"How could a tobacco museum that promotes smoking become a model of patriotic education?" asked Zhu Ji, a mother of a 13-year-old. "I will not bring my children to a tobacco museum because it glorifies an unhealthy habit."

The China Tobacco Museum opened in 2004 and has attracted more than 300,000 visitors over the past eight years, according to the museum.

The status was given to museum two years ago by the city's education commission and the publicity department of the Consultative People's Conference Shanghai Committee.

Tang Weichang, a press officer for the museum, said that the public has misunderstood the museum's purpose. "The China Tobacco Museum does not promote smoking. Instead, it shows exhibits on how tobacco workers contributed to the revolution in the early 1930s," he told the Global Times. "Our exhibits also show how underground members of the Communist Party played a huge role in World War II."

He added that tobacco production has had a long history in China's commerce and trade and it has played a large part in the development of the local economy since the early 18th century. The museum also aims to conserve part of the local culture in regions that grow tobacco. "Cigarette packages are a favorite item among collectors worldwide and in our museum, we display vintage cigarette packages that reflect local history," Tang said.

The China Tobacco Museum also has an anti-smoking section, aimed at educating young people about the health risks of smoking, Tang added. The museum is also planning additional exhibitions and posters to promote healthy lifestyles.

The museum serves a valuable function by conserving the history of an important agricultural product, said Gu Xiaomin, a professor of sociology at Fudan University. "Smoking is a bad habit, but the public can't deny that tobacco is a big part of Chinese culture," he told the Global Times. "The public should not overreact about the museum."