The nearly 600-year-old Palace Museum, better known as the Forbidden City, in downtown Beijing is attracting an increasing number of young visitors, according to data released on Monday.
Among over 17 million visitors to the museum last year, 40 percent were under 30, while those between 30 and 40 accounted for 24 percent, the museum announced at a press conference.
Visitors are also staying longer and paying more attention to various exhibitions inside the former imperial palace.
New exhibitions are also attracting more visitors during the museum's traditional off-season, from November 1 to March 31.
With the introduction of activities themed on Spring Festival, the number of visitors during the first two months of 2019 grew by over 50 percent on an annual basis. Even before the one-week Spring Festival holiday began, up to 80,000 tickets for each day had been sold out.
Visiting the museum became more popular in Beijing this year partly because of an ongoing immersive exhibition.
In addition, the opening of a coffee shop, an emperor-themed hotpot eatery, and online stores selling cosmetics as well as various cultural and creative items have added to the popularity of the Palace Museum.
To celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2020, the Palace Museum is going to hold a series of special exhibitions from the second half of this year until the end of 2020.
The exhibitions range from historic relics; imperial culture, festivals and customs; and world civilization among other themes.
