20 LIFE | Culture Tuesday, November 20, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Annual pass opens doors to many museums
By WANG KAIHAO and the China Bee Museum, [email protected] but some others, like the China National Film Muse Good news for museum um, have temporarily quit fans in Beijing: An annual the program due to renova pass of museum tickets was tion. released last week by the Bei The annual pass in 2018 jing Museums Association, included 113 institutions. which will enable visitors to Cao has endeavored to enter 115 institutions in the produce an annual pass for capital city to either for free 15 years. His team also pro or for discounted rates, in vides a series of auxiliary 2019. services. The annual pass, costing Cao says: “When people 120 yuan ($17.3), is designed visit museums regularly, they as a pocket book. It also become thirsty for knowl offers a brief introduction to edge. So, they will not be sat the destination as well as isfied with just a random guidance for transportation walk in an exhibition hall.” and contact information. It As a result, Cao has orga is sold through post offices, nized more than 100 free lec Xinhua Bookstores, ticket tures for the public since offices of museums and the 2016. Ada Choi (L) and actor Deng Lun (R) are among celebrities guiding audiences to explore secrets in the Forbidden City in an ongoing variety show. website, www.bowu The talks focus on tradi guan.com.cn. tional Chinese culture and Most tickets in the booklet ancient civilizations. can be used for two adult vis He also leads group tours itors. to historical sites nationwide “We want to encourage to echo the current exhibi family visits to museums, as tions taking place in the FORBIDDEN CITY children already enjoy free museums. or discounted entry to many museums in Beijing,” says Cao Wei, the general manag er in charge of promoting the annual pass. REVEALS ITS SECRETS The list of museums in the annual pass includes many historical landmarks in Bei An ongoing TV variety show is set to show the former Chinese imperial jing, which are publicly owned institutions run by palace complex in a new light, Wang Kaihao reports. citylevel administrators, like the Confucius Temple he Palace Museum in remote,” says Leng Song, a and the Guozijian (imperial Beijing, also known media researcher at the Chi college) Museum, the Zheng as the Forbidden City, nese Academy of Social Scien yangmen Gate Tower by is a muchvisited and ces. Tian’anmen Square, and Bell muchphotographed T land “The program which show and Drum Towers. mark. This 598yearold cases new facets of the palace Additionally, the city’s former Chinese imperial pal complex’s aesthetics could most renowned privately ace complex, received almost help change that with its owned museums in Beijing 16.7 million visits in 2017. unique treatment.” are also included. For exam Numerous TV programs — He also says that the show ple, holders of the pass can documentaries and dramas — also sets new benchmarks for visit the China Red Sandal have showcased the place in upcoming Chinese variety wood Museum — a place recent years. shows. displaying luxurious tradi However it still has secrets, “A cultural program needs tional Chinese furniture — and a new production is set to taste, but it cannot be a cold for free, and also enjoy reveal those unknown areas fish,” says Leng. access at half price to the and the legends within. “A blend of docudrama and Guanfu Museum, the home The variety show, Shang Xin reality show techniques can of the antique hoard of col Le Gu Gong (“There’s some sustain the interest of the pub lector, Ma Weidu. thing new in the Palace Muse lic, and producing souvenirs Tickets to the Palace um”), broadcast its pilot will make the show’s influence Museum, China’s former episode on Beijing TV and on the cultural sector even imperial palace also known A newly released annual online streaming media site, stronger.” as the Forbidden City, are pass of museum tickets will iQiyi.com, on Nov 9. Shan Jixiang, the director of the Palace Museum in Beijing, shows a recent cultural creativity product The show is crucial to the not included in the annual enable visitors to enter 115 That first episode won wide of the museum, a book for readers to solve puzzles with online interaction. ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY plans of Shan Jixiang, 64, the pass, but the pass can be institutions in Beijing for free acceptance from audiences, director of the Palace Muse used for the country’s top or with discounts in 2019. and it rated 8.3 out of a total 10 um, who is determined to tier science museums, such points on Douban.com, Chi that it is not an easy job. as reference material. The make the museum a part of as the Beijing Planetarium na’s major film and TV critic “It’s complicated work to get downside is that there are too people’s everyday lives. and National Zoological He says: “For each lecture, website. so many different depart many of them, about 1.86 mil Souvenirs developed from Museum. we used to have only a 100 “It brings many elements ments in our museum all lion items in total. the abundant cultural trea “With the pass, museum person capacity, so they together, but everything in the geared up,” he says. Mao says: “I don’t feel I am sures in the museum is anoth operators hope to attract sometimes sold out within show is perfectly matched,” “Six centuries of history is making a variety show. I feel I er part of the plan. more public attention and three minutes. People’s inter says a netizen on Douban. not easy to digest, but we have am preparing for academic Besides the designers fea they also want their collec est in museums has grown “It made me recall the thrill to think of ways to make it research projects, as all the tured in the show, students tions to benefit society,” says rapidly.” I felt when I stepped into the accessible to young audiences.” costumes, props and makeup from top Chinese fine art Cao. “The annual pass is an Some frequent attendees Palace Museum for the first Actor Zhou Yiwei, who is styles have to follow historical academies are also being given effective way to lower the of these activities have since time.” known for his characters in records.” access to cultural relics threshold for entering muse become volunteers to pro The program itself is diffi historical productions, has a This is why, Mao says, the appearing in the show, in the ums.” mote the museums. cult to categorize into an exist long monologue in the show costumes in the variety show form of pictures and back If all tickets in the annual One of them is Zhou Ya. ing format. as Emperor Qianlong who may seem different to viewers ground information. They are pass were purchased indi Speaking about the pass, In each onehourlong epi reigned from 1736 to 1795. who are used to watching his expected to come up with vidually, it would cost more Zhou says: “It is not only a sode, the actors switch The emperor was a mon torybased TV dramas. ideas which can ultimately be than 3,000 yuan ($432). book of tickets. It is a gate between playing guides and arch who held ultimate power, Speaking about the moment turned into souvenirs. Beijing had 179 registered way to a different lifestyle.” historical figures like emper but was chained by rituals and when she first saw the clothes “Our ultimate goal is to museums by 2017, making it She says it could also ors and royal family members his high position. He was also worn by Emperor Qianlong in enlighten people through these the city with the second larg change the global image of of the Qing Dynasty (1644 a literati who looked for free everyday life, Mao says: souvenirs,” says Shan. “More est number of museums in Chinese tourists abroad. 1911). They focus on areas still dom and was obsessed with “Frankly, my response was: ways are needed to better con the world, second only to “They (Chinese tourists not accessible to the public the Jiangnan area (a region by Isn’t this something worn by a nect culture and the market.” London, according to statis abroad) are often unfairly and the legends surrounding the southern bank of the lower sions we have to find new sto eunuch? According to Shan, the Pal tics from the Beijing Muse labeled as people who just go them. Yangtze River). ries.” “How could the outfits be so ace Museum had 10,500 types ums Association. shopping,” she says. In the show, the actors are Fans of Qingcourt dramas Revealing details about the plainlooking? But it is history. of cultural souvenirs as of 2017. The first annual pass for “More visits to museums also joined by designers who also have something to look show, she says an upcoming Only a red decoration on the “This number is big Beijing museums was (at home) will help us nur will create products based on forward to as the show fea episode will focus on Emperor top of the emperor’s hat enough,” he says. “Now it’s the released in the 1990s. ture a cultural consciousness what they see. The most popu tures Hong Kong actress Ada Kangxi (16621722) in which revealed his identity.” time to focus more on how to Some of the museums and make us naturally want lar ones, based on an online Choi and her mainland coun he will be portrayed as a big Emperors did not wear create new themes and which have been added are to go and see local art when vote, are to be turned into sou terparts, Qin Lan and Ning fan of Western machinery and shiny robes all the time, and improve quality.” the Beijing Soap Museum we go overseas.” venirs for sale. Jing, all of whom once played medicine. neither did the empresses and As the series is scheduled to the role of Qing empresses for “The episode will focus on a the concubines. Their flam have many seasons, Shan says Unprecedented attempt various popular TV series. spot where the emperor once boyant robes and shoes, which the director can also use the No previous variety show Among the places featured conducted an experiment.” are commonly seen in TV products as inspiration. has been shot in the palace are the Juanqinzhai (the stu series now, were not common Despite his age, Shan’s mind complex like this. dio of Exhaustion after Dili Historical accuracy place. Elaborate styles only is buzzing with ideas. As for cinema, there have gent Service), an exquisite Despite the entertainment appeared in the late 19th cen For instance, when the show been rare exceptions like the garden complex built for aspect of the show, Zhu says his tury. needed to find a host to con Academy Awardwinning The Emperor Qianlong, which is priority is to give viewers a cor During the filming process nect the storyline, Shan sug Last Emperor. still not open to the general rect understanding of history. no actor was allowed to touch gested using a chubby cat For the variety show, the Pal public. “Many historical dramas the cultural relics. speaking in a child’s voice for ace Museum has taken the As of now, about 20 percent based on the Forbidden City For a scene where Qianlong the role. This idea has proved reins of the production for the of the Palace Museum is still are hits,” he says. “But they sits on his throne in Juanqinz successful, going by feedback first time. Zhu Yong, a veteran not accessible to the public, but also make people believe that hai, the crew had to create an on the internet. history researcher at the muse that is a far cry from 2014, their fictional stories are real identical replica of the original “We have 200 cats in our um — who is also the head of when nearly half of the com history. Now, since we are for the actor to use. museum,” says Shan. “Thanks the film and TV department at plex was out of bounds for gen making a show in the palace, It is hoped that the show to them there are no rats in the Gugong Academy, a research eral visitors. we have to ensure that every might make the grandiose Forbidden City. So, why not institute affiliated to the Palace Director Mao Jia says: thing we do is accurate.” 720,000sqmeter palace com have them on the show.” Museum — is the chief screen “Many areas have been One of the advantages that plex in heart of Beijing feel writer for the show. opened up in recent years the show’s makers have is that more accessible to the public. Contact the writer at China Red Sandalwood Museum, a place displaying luxurious Speaking about his new which leaves less room for us it has a huge collection of cul “People think that the Pal wangkaihao@ traditional Chinese furniture, is free for holders of the new role, Zhu says he understands to work. So, on many occa tural relics which can be used ace Museum is very big and chinadaily.com.cn pass. WANG KAIHAO / CHINA DAILY