RELIVING HISTORY

Jiangsu province, where modern China's early public museums came up, is hosting an exhibition to showcase the evolution. Lin Qi reports.

The look and work of museums have evolved through centuries. The word "museum" traces its origin to the Latin mouseion that refers to a sacred place where ancient Greeks worshipped nine muses who patronized the arts. It also denotes an institution for philosophical research in Alexandria, Egypt, built around the third century BC.

An ongoing exhibition in China, History of Museums, is seeking to tell such stories and go beyond by identifying the core values of a museum, especially providing people with a place to reflect, study and arouse their creativity. The display is being held at the Nanjing Municipal Museum through Aug 26.