Shaanxi advances high-quality museum development

Shaanxi province held a press conference to highlight the progress of its museum sector's high-quality development on Nov 28.

Sun Zhouyong, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, said that the number of museums in the province has grown from 221 in 2013 to 360 today, with the annual number of visitors increasing from 33 million to over 72 million. Key upgrading projects like the Xi'an Beilin Museum and Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum have been designated as major provincial cultural undertakings.

Shaanxi has built a robust museum system with State-owned institutions as the core, supported by private and community museums. This system promotes regional collaboration and balanced development, with provincial museums serving as models.

New landmarks such as the Bronze Chariot Museum, the Shaanxi Archaeology Museum, and the Qin and Han Hall of the Shaanxi History Museum have opened, while the expansion of the Xi'an Beilin Museum is set to finish by March 2025.

Municipal-level museums, such as the Tongchuan and Yan'an museums, and specialized venues like the Yellow River Culture Museum and Stone Relics Museum, have also been established. Community museums, with 66 already operational, enhance accessibility to cultural resources.

Shaanxi has also embraced technology by launching a movable cultural relic management platform, digitizing artifacts, and establishing regional data centers for the management of dynamic collections. Over the past five years, 28,000 artifacts have been restored, and 100,600 have undergone authentication, supported by advanced research facilities and interdepartmental collaboration.

Creative industries have flourished, with over 400 cultural products developed annually. Collaborations with lifestyle brands, meanwhile, have boosted local economic growth. Digital initiatives, such as "cloud exhibitions" and online education, have made cultural content accessible to millions worldwide.

In addition, Shaanxi promotes international exchanges, signing over 80 agreements with institutions in France, Italy, and beyond. These partnerships share expertise in artifact preservation and exhibit Shaanxi's rich cultural legacy as a "golden card" of Chinese heritage.