May 18 marks the 49th International Museum Day, under the theme of “The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities”. This year’s theme underlines how museums actively address emerging opportunities and challenges with the public, and resonate with the times, in the face of new tasks such as the protection, innovation and reconstruction of cultural identity in the rapidly changing society.
On May 18, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will extend its opening hours to 20:00, and launch a series of activities centered around this year’s theme, empowering cultural inheritance with technology, deepening educational functions through interaction, and promoting the spread of civilization via sharing.
Highlight 1: To Launch the Exhibition Affinity of Mountains and Seas·Echoes of the Desert Sands—Meeting Dunhuang in Liaoning
As the largest special exhibition of Dunhuang culture to be held in Northeast China, Affinity of Mountains and Seas·Echoes of the Desert Sands—Meeting Dunhuang in Liaoning will kick off at the Liaoning Provincial Museum on this year’s International Museum Day. This exhibition is aimed at spreading Dunhuang culture, promoting the scholarly spirit of Dunhuang, continuing the Chinese cultural legacy, and inspiring national spirit.
On May 18, the opening ceremony of the exhibition will feature an immersive short play about Dunhuang, named The Nine-Colored Deer. The Liaoning Provincial Museum will also hold a ceremony to award ten primary and secondary schools with the title of “Science Popularization Practice Base Co-built by the Museum and Schools” on the same day. Students from the ten schools will pay a group visit to the special exhibition of Dunhuang culture.
Highlight 2: To Hold the “Cultural Fun Exploration·Exhibitions with Fun” Educational Activities
On May 18, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will hold the educational activities of “Cultural Fun Exploration·Exhibitions with Fun”, which will include educational activities supporting the museum’s exhibitions, special activities in the Children’s Experience Hall, the museum-school co-construction project of “Children Grow with Sci-Tech”, and the “Meet the National Treasures” parent-child activities for the museum’s volunteers.
The “Ultimate Beauty” Dunhuang fan making experience event of the “Seeing Dunhuang Meaningfully” series of educational activities will also be held on May 18. Visitors can not only learn to make Dunhuang fans on site, but also have the opportunity to participate in an interactive Q&A session on Dunhuang cultural knowledge.
In addition, there are various cultural and museum experience activities that are both informative and interesting. For the “Exploring the Song Dynasty Lubu Bell” and “Magic Wardrobe” in Children’s Experience Hall, volunteers will be assigned to explain knowledge of relevant cultural relics, and lead the children to experience the activities firsthand.
Highlight 3: To Organize the “Broad View of the Future·Youth Setting Sail” Themed Public Welfare Study Tour Activities
The “Broad View of the Future·Youth Setting Sail” themed public welfare study tour activities, jointly organized by the Liaoning Provincial Museum and Liaoning Provincial Tourism Education Center, will start a cultural journey across time and space on May 18. Upon that time, 50 teenage participants will transform into “civilization guardians” to appreciate the charm of Dunhuang’s history and culture in the exhibition hall of Affinity of Mountains and Seas·Echoes of the Desert Sands—Meeting Dunhuang in Liaoning. They will learn the art of pyrography, including its making process and techniques, under the guidance of professional teachers.
Highlight 4: To Carry Out the “Unity of Knowledge and Practice—Youth Tour of ‘Dunhuang’” Chinese-English Bilingual Study Camp
The Liaoning Provincial Museum will join hands with XDF Cultural Tourism in Liaoning to continuously deepen study tour cooperation. On May 24 and 25, the museum will carry out Chinese-English bilingual study camp activities centered around the exhibition Affinity of Mountains and Seas·Echoes of the Desert Sands—Meeting Dunhuang in Liaoning, leading teenage participants to visit the exhibition, learn about the art of Dunhuang, and enhance cultural confidence.
Highlight 5: “Mobile Cultural Exhibitions Grace the Public”: Mobile Cultural Service in Progress
During the International Museum Day, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will continue to carry out the mobile cultural service of “Mobile Cultural Exhibitions Grace the Public”, including organizing the “Museum Tour Season” educational activities in the New Era Civilization Practice Center of Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County, Fushun City, and the mobile exhibition community activities in the New Era Civilization Practice Center of Zhenxing District and Yuanbao District of Dandong City. Moreover, adhering to the principle of benefiting the public with culture, and to promote the integration of culture and tourism, the mobile exhibition vehicles will also come to the Shenyang Fantawild Adventure, allowing the public to enjoy the cultural service firsthand.
Highlight 6: To Host the “Dialogue with History·Decoding the Civilization” Series of Lectures on Liaoning and Dunhuang
During the exhibition Affinity of Mountains and Seas·Echoes of the Desert Sands—Meeting Dunhuang in Liaoning, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will host a series of lectures on Liaoning and Dunhuang, entitled “Dialogue with History, Decoding the Civilization”. On May 18, the museum will invite Zhang Yuanlin, deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy, to deliver a lecture titled “Witness Through Images: Cultural Integration of Dunhuang and Regions Along the Silk Road”.
In late May, well-known domestic experts and scholars, such as Cai Qin, former curator of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, will also give special lectures in the Lecture Hall of the Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Highlight 7: To Launch the “Cultural and Creative Benefits for the Public·Lucky Draw for Liaoning” Purchase-Lucky Draw Activity for Cultural and Creative Products
The cultural and creative products of the Liaoning Provincial Museum have long enjoyed wide popularity. The museum’s cultural and creative store will soon launch a purchase-lucky draw activity of “Cultural and Creative Benefits for the Public: Lucky Draw for Liaoning”, to promote the consumption concept of “bringing History home”, realize the dual empowerment of commercial value and cultural value, and help Liaoning’s cultural tourism brand grow while making new breakthroughs. The linkage pattern of “certain consumption amount + fun lucky draw” aims to create an immersive cultural shopping experience, show the charm of creative cultural relics derivatives, and stimulate visitors’ consumption potential.
Visitors who spend more than 199 yuan in a single transaction will have a chance to win a lucky draw. The prizes will be doubled if the consumption amount is added, and there will be a variety of surprises waiting for participants. On site, a visual prize display area will be set up, where visitors can participate in the activity according to the guidance of the store staff and poster prompts.
Highlight 8: To Hold the “Learning from the Past and Understanding the Present·Appointment with Treasures” Public Welfare Campaign for Cultural Relics Appraisal
To strengthen the protection and inheritance of private collections of cultural relics, safeguard the cultural rights and interests of the people, promote rational collection, and spread China’s excellent traditional culture, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will hold a public welfare appraisal and consulting service for private collections of cultural relics in late May. The appraisal will cover four major categories of collections: ceramic ware, jade ware, metal ware, calligraphy works and paintings.
Highlight 9: To Launch the Online and Offline Joint Communication Project of “The Glory of Museums·Shared by All”
On May 18, the Liaoning Provincial Museum will launch the online and offline joint communication Project of “The Glory of Museums·Shared by All”. The museum will live stream the lecture “Witness Through Images: Cultural Integration of Dunhuang and Regions Along the Silk Road” by Zhang Yuanlin, deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy, via its official WeChat Channel and Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok) accounts. Cultural and museum experts across the country will successively deliver special lectures at the Liaoning Provincial Museum, and the museum will continue to carry out online and offline joint communication.
Highlight 10: To Organize the “Vivid Cultural Relics·Story-Telling Lenses” Creative Short Video Competition
The Liaoning Provincial Museum will hold a creative short video competition entitled “Vivid Cultural Relics·Story-Telling Lenses”, soliciting original video works from the public with themes such as “Cultural Relics Stories”, “Museum Exploration”, and “New Expressions of History”. Participants can upload their works onto the Douyin platform with the topic #Liaobo Wanxiang (Multifaceted Liaoning Provincial Museum). The video works can cover a variety of forms, such as popular science short plays about cultural relics, creative check-ins at exhibition halls, and personificative interpretations of cultural relics. The competition will set up awards such as “Best Creativity Award” and “Viewers’ Choice Award”.
