Museums in China are becoming hot tourist spots, as they are no longer regarded as solemn and distant from normal people's life, after a TV show called "National Treasure" hit the country, news site The Paper reported on Dec. 21.
The weekly program has contributed 50 percent more searches for museums since it was first aired at the beginning of December, according Ctrip, China's largest online travel agency.
The upward trend is expected to continue as a lot of parents are planning to take their kids to museums during the upcoming winter holiday, Ctrip forecasted.
The online tourism service provider has launched nearly 1,000 travel routes related to museums. Famous museums such as the Palace Museum, Nanjing Museum, and Shaanxi History Museum are hot spots on the travel lists of many travel agencies.
The Palace Museum, Museum of Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Shaanxi History Museum, Nanjing Museum, and Capital Museum are the five most searched museums after the show was aired, according to a ranking.
In addition, some customized services have been created to enhance tourist experience at museums, and the demand for tour guides with expertise in history and culture are on the rise.
Ctrip has also found that 10 percent of the young customers are dating in museums.
Museums are a key way for Chinese people to lean about the country's cultural relics. "National Treasure" has ten episodes, presenting a total of 27 masterpieces from nine major Chinese museums.
