By Lin Qi (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-03 08:56

A visitor at an ancient stone sculptures show at the Capital Museum in Beijing.Photos by Wang Jing

While most seemed happy during their museum visits, some had suggestions about how the experience could be improved. Jiang Juan, a porcelain lover, suggests that the introduction boards alongside the exhibits should be more detailed, providing information about when and where the antique was produced, and the genre it represents. She also complains that the Capital Museum charges more than 200 yuan ($28) for a tour guide, which is worthwhile for group audiences but will scare away single visitors.

He Wei says her friend, a Japanese high school student, could understand about only a half of the English interpretations. She says that visitors should also be mindful of their behavior in public, after her parents saw people sleeping on long benches during a recent visit to the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution. "Some seemed to be passengers waiting for the train, as the train station is nearby. It is really a bad image for Beijing," she says.

A staff member from a science museum, who declines to give his full name, says that order should be maintained by the museum and the audience. This is especially true for science museums, which are always packed with children and parents on holidays. He also doubts whether limiting visitor numbers will ease the strain on the facilities.

For community and small museums, like the Museum of Ethnic Costumes of Beijing University of Clothing and Technology, attracting a large audience is the top priority.

"We received nearly 200 people last weekend. There are some group reservations but they are mostly college students or from fashion companies. Visitors outside these circles are rare," says the museum's curator Xu Wen.

The museum houses about 10,000 rare ethnic and ancient costumes, which have been collected from across the country over the past two decades. Xu says that they are currently considering opening for longer than three hours a day.

Some free museums in the capital

(China Daily 04/03/2008 page18)

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