Free art museums draw crowds in China

People has been lining up to get into art museums since a policy of free admissions was initiated recently.

Shanghai Art Museum is one among those that has attracted a large number of visitors after it opened for free Saturday. It received 12,099 visitors on the first day it declared free admission, eight times its usual 1,500 daily visits.

Another 4,000 to 5,000 visitors filled the museum on Sunday, despite rainy weather, to see an exhibition of paintings by China's modern master artists Wu Guanzhong and Lin Fengmian.

Some enthusiastic tourists left home as early as 4 am to join long lines around the museum, according to Zhang Wenqing, deputy director of the Shanghai Art Museum.

"I've never been here before," said Wang Ning, a Shanghai native who'd waited about 45 minutes with her 10-year-old son at the door. "I think it's good for my son to learn something about art. It's good that we can visit the museum free of charge," Wang told reporters. The museum had previously charged 20 yuan ($3) for entry.

"We appreciate the public enthusiasm for art," said deputy director Zhang. "I believe as time goes by, there will be no need for people to wait in long lines when visiting the museum free of charge.

"We want visiting art museums to be a regular part of citizens' lives," Zhang added.

In Beijing, the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) also opened its doors to the public for free on March 2, and has since welcomed some 6,000 visitors every day – though not all were there for the right reasons.

Yu, with the National Art Museum, suggested senior citizens can visit the museum from Monday to Friday, leaving more tickets on weekends for people busy during weekdays.

On February 10, the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Finance vowed that the public would have free access to all public art galleries within two years. The policy is also underway in seven other galleries in Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shaanxi, Hubei and Beijing.