The National Museum of China 3rd in popularity

National Museum of China (Xinhua/Chen Jianli)

The National Museum of China (NMC) located on Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, has been declared the third most popular museum in the world, the China Youth Daily reported.

Announced in a recent report by the International Association of Amusement Parks, NMC comes third behind the Louvre Museum in Paris, France, and the American Museum of Natural History in Washington in the US.

The number of visitors to NMC rose by 38.7 percent last year. This growth in tourism was the largest among the most popular museums in the world in 2013.

The biggest ever exhibition of ancient Silk Road items is expected to go on display at NMC later this year.