On May 16, 2015, the Liaoning Provincial Museum relocated to its new site. To date, the new museum has been officially open for a full decade. Over the past ten years, the annual visitor count at the museum has surged from an initial average of 483,000 to 3.32 million. The implementation of high-quality exhibitions, deep integration with digital technology, and meticulous public services have not only solidified the foundation for the museum’s development but also propelled it to continuously move forward.
High-quality Exhibitions Attracted 3.32 Million Visitors
Early in the morning, even before the museum opened its doors, a long queue had already formed outside the Liaoning Provincial Museum. After the official opening, crowds of visitors flocked continuously into the exhibition halls, fully immersing themselves in the beauty of the cultural relics. “There are so many cultural relics, and the exhibitions are truly spectacular.” “You can never get enough of exploring here.”... The Liaoning Provincial Museum has received much praise and positive feedback from visitors attracted by its reputation.
During the recent “May Day” holiday, the Liaoning Provincial Museum once again witnessed a surge in visitors. Statistics showed that on May 2 alone, a total of 32,261 people visited the museum, marking a 76.16% increase compared to the same day last year. This figure also set a new record for the highest single-day visitor count in the museum’s history since its establishment. This is a microcosm of the Liaoning Provincial Museum’s immense popularity among visitors.
On May 16, 2015, the Liaoning Provincial Museum relocated from Shenhe District to its new site in Hunnan District, Shenyang City. Over the past decade, the annual visitor count to this first museum established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China has skyrocketed from 483,000 in 2015 to 3.325 million in 2024. This figure represents a nearly sevenfold increase compared to the year of its relocation.
“The rapid increase in visitor numbers over the past decade can be attributed to multiple factors. These include the backdrop of the times, such as growing cultural confidence and the resurgence of traditional culture. Also, the Liaoning Provincial Museum made its own efforts in continuously enriching exhibition content, innovating and presenting new offerings, optimizing various services, and diversifying its event formats,” said Wang Xiaowen, Deputy Director of the Liaoning Provincial Public Cultural Service Center and Director of the Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Data shows that over the past decade, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has hosted nearly 200 exhibitions covering a wide range of themes, including historical archaeology, art collections, intangible cultural heritage and folklore, and cultural exchanges. In addition to 10 thematic exhibitions such as “Ancient Liaoning” and “Jade Artifacts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties”, the museum has also launched a number of critically acclaimed and audience-loved exhibitions, including “Meet the Tang Dynasty Again”, “Meet the Hongshan Culture Again”, “Atop the Mountains—Exhibition of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang & the Song Dynasties”, “Archaeological Achievements of the Three Yan Cultures”, “Harmony and Unity in China”, “Splendid and Rich Traditional Chinese Painting—Qi Baishi and His Masters, Friends, and Disciples”, and “Cultural Relics of History and Culture of the Liao and Jin Dynasties”. By continuously holding thematic exhibitions, cultural relic displays, and cultural exhibitions that leverage Liaoning’s unique regional history, culture, and its collection of 120,000 pieces (sets) of cultural relics, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has attracted nearly 20 million visitors over the past 10 years.
Boasting a rich collection of cultural treasures, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has never ceased its pursuit of innovative development. One of the museum’s distinctive features is its abundant collection of precious calligraphy and paintings. However, due to the fragility of ancient calligraphy and paintings, they cannot be exhibited frequently. Therefore, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has carefully selected six precious paintings from its vast collection, including “Nymph of the Luohe River”, “Lady Guoguo’s Spring Outing”, “Reading the Book of Changes by the Window in Autumn”, “Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers”, “Waiting for the Ferry at the Mountain Pass in Summer”, and “Auspicious Cranes”. Leveraging digital technology, the museum has created “The Splendor of the Tang and Song Dynasties: An Artistic World in Digital Paintings”. When visitors step into this exhibition, they feel as if they were in the painting themselves, experiencing a dreamlike and enchanting realm. As people enter the artistic world of digital paintings, they are greeted by flocks of white cranes soaring and dancing gracefully above the Xuande Gate of Bianjing, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene. These dynamic images are not from a cinema but are displayed in the museum’s digital exhibition hall.
Recently, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has introduced “Exploring the Mysteries of the Marquis of Haihun State”, which is China’s first VR immersive exhibition themed on the history of the Marquis of Haihun State. It has also embedded digital exhibition units into thematic exhibitions, bringing cultural relics to life and making them interactive... By leveraging digital technology to awaken the cultural symbols embedded in cultural relics, the Liaoning Provincial Museum is continuously experimenting with new display methods.
Superior Services Add Luster to Splendid Exhibitions
Over these past few days, Wu Li, a volunteer docent, has been bustling around the various exhibition halls of the Liaoning Provincial Museum. This experienced volunteer, who joined the docent team back in 2014, has conducted many guided tours and welcomed numerous visitors over the past decade or so. “My main job is in finance, but through years of volunteering as a docent, I’ve not only earned recognition from the audience but also achieved personal growth,” she said.
At the Liaoning Provincial Museum, there are over 300 docent volunteers like Wu Li, who offer their services without seeking any reward. Through their professional narration, they bring life into the silent cultural relics on display within the exhibition halls. In 2023, the Liaoning Provincial Museum drafted and published a local standard titled “Management Specifications for Museum Volunteers”, signifying that its volunteer program has officially become a benchmark and model for the entire province.
Having outstanding volunteers provide high-quality services is just one aspect of the Liaoning Provincial Museum’s public service. Over the past decade, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has meticulously crafted an impressive record using history as its brush and culture as its ink. In addition to its captivating exhibitions, the museum has also enhanced its appeal through excellent services. From volunteer programs to online educational workshops, and from free children’s experience zones to public welfare lectures, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has expanded its functions to become a public cultural platform that integrates cultural dissemination, social education, and public services over the past ten years.
Shortly after the recruitment announcement for the “One-Day Bilingual Camp: A Journey of Porcelain Vases Around the World” released before this “May Day” holiday, all available quotas were quickly snapped up. On the day of the event, guided by instructors, children embarked on a journey through time and space within the exhibition halls of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, learning about porcelain-making techniques and stylistic characteristics through both Chinese and English.
A set of detailed data vividly portrays the grand tapestry of cultural benefits the Liaoning Provincial Museum provides for the people over the past decade. For the past 10 years, adhering to its original intention of serving the people through culture, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has meticulously planned and organized over 4,500 diverse educational activities, including the “Joyful Classes” and “Liaoning Provincial Museum Lecture Series”. These events have reached over a million visitors. Meanwhile, the museum’s mobile cultural services have traversed 14 cities across the province, staging nearly 500 activities and enabling over two million people to savor cultural feasts right at their doorsteps.
The Liaoning Provincial Museum has also garnered numerous honors one after another. It has been awarded the titles of “National Model Unit for Civilized Tourism”, China’s First Regional Brand in Museum Service, and “Liaoning Premium Quality” for Museum Public Service. It has also won the Excellence Award and the Outstanding Award for the “Top Ten Exhibitions in National Museums” for five consecutive years... The Liaoning Provincial Museum has emerged as a vital window for promoting and inheriting Chinese civilization and the regional culture of Liaoning Province, a leading force in China’s museum sector, and an open platform for exchanges and dialogues among world civilizations.
