Beijing to host activities to mark International Museum Day

In celebration of the upcoming International Museum Day on May 18, Beijing will host a series of cultural events, including major exhibitions and the 2025 Beijing Museum Season.

One of the highlights is the "This is the Shang" exhibition, which is set to showcase 338 cultural artifacts dating back to the Shang dynasty (about 1600-1046 B.C.) at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, which also serves as the main venue of the nationwide celebration.

According to Zhang Lixin, director of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau, the exhibits include 54 sets of China's national first-class and key artifacts, many of which are being displayed in Beijing for the first time. This will be the second exhibition held by the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing to focus on the origin of Chinese civilization, following a blockbuster exhibition on Sanxingdui last year. 

Zhang also revealed that over 20,000 early-bird tickets for the event have been sold in just 10 days.

Sunday's celebration will also feature a series of key releases. These include the results of the National Major Museum Operation Evaluation (2022-2024), the 2025 list of the most innovative museums nationwide, and the top 10 museum exhibition selections. 

In addition, the 2025 Beijing Museum Season will run from May 18 to Oct. 8, with a different theme each month.

Specifically, May will highlight exhibitions such as "This is the Shang" and special collections from the Palace Museum. June will focus on technology integration, July will highlight cultural creative products, while August through October will cover study tours, education, and closing events.

Looking ahead, Zhang said that the city will coordinate museums with commercial and tourism resources to host more diverse and distinctive cultural events.