Hangzhou, akin to an open museum, boasts 299 museums that serve as the city’s parlors. An exhibition showing Hangzhou’s advances in museums will be officially opened on May 18. The city’s Gardens and Cultural Relics Bureau organized a tour tailored for media, on May 13, over the North Hall of Hangzhou Museum for an early look.

You will be first greeted by a “river” of museum history flowing across the floor, displaying the names of Hangzhou’s 299 museums as a symbol of the enduring culture of the city. “You’re gonna have lots of fun here, and learn something through hands-on experiences,” said Chen Jun, Chief of the Museums and Social Artifacts Division of the Bureau.

The walls alive with audio and video instruments are for interactions. Click on “Xihu District,” for instance, museums across the whole district will pop up for your reference. You can also play the role of “museum ambassadors,” leaving your comments on the channel of “Visit Hangzhou’s Museums” for a real-time display. Emoji packs featuring recommended cultural relics and dramatic artifacts can also be downloaded here. How? Just scan the QR code to take them home.

The city launched in 2021 an action plan for high-quality development of museums to facilitate common prosperity (2021-2025). “Over five years, we established a digital platform called ‘Memory of Hangzhou,’ built ten state-owned museums, nurtured a hundred more village (community) museums, and served over ten million visitors every year,” said Chen Jun.

It’s been a forceful, steady course from 1929, when West Lake Museum was established, to now the building of Hangzhou Museum is in the process. A significant progress has been made in making Hangzhou a “city of museums.” “Memory of Hangzhou” also provides a chance to view the map of museums, be notified of various exhibitions and lectures, and play the role of cultural heritage ambassadors.

So let’s go to exhibition this Sunday. Take photos, scan the code to access the “Memory of Hangzhou” to get personalized posters, and share such wonderful moments with the local museums.