Museums giving the past a future

Beyond culture providers

In May, when volunteering at a primary school in Fuyingzi county in Chengde, Hebei province, Zi brought several of the archaeology blind boxes from the Henan Provincial Museum to the students, mostly left-behind children.

"When I was in the school and giving a lesson about cultural relics, the children were very interested. It made me realize that their demand for cultural services and knowledge is strong," she said.

Through creative products, museums can provide cultural services to more people.

"It makes me think about the cultural needs of left-behind children, and the role of public museums in providing education to the grassroots," Zi said.

The expansion of the sector also assists poverty alleviation and employment. In Henan, the production of archaeology blind boxes in Luoyang's Yiyang county, has generated 26 jobs in one village, according to Ma Xiaolin, head of the Henan museum.