Virtual visits reveal museums' magic

"We've done a lot of work to digitalize our exhibits in recent years, making it easier for us to hold virtual exhibitions online. Audiences can also play games, such as doing jigsaw puzzles of famous paintings on their smartphones."

She says the virtual-travel activity has encouraged the museum to put more effort into livestreams to appeal to youth. The latest plan is to regularly livestream on the video-sharing platform Bilibili to promote the museum from various aspects and to continue after the epidemic.

Audiences can witness scenes in livestreams that they can rarely see on actual trips to Suzhou Museum.

They can watch professional interpretations of curators and interviews with experts, such as those who repair ancient books or paintings, to know about museums' inner workings.

"The virtual-travel activity has helped Sichuan Museum to build its image, strengthen its communication with the public and arouse curiosity about the museum," says Zhang Heng, who's in charge of marketing of the museum in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

He says the online interactions have attracted new fans, some of whom are outside the province. Many comment that they want to actually visit the museum in the future.