Published on: 2026-07-17
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
During the summer holidays, when major museums such as the Gugong Museum and the National Museum of China are crowded with visitors, more and more tourists prefer to delve into county-level areas and visit small but exquisite specialized county-level museums.
As of the end of 2025, China had 7,188 registered museums, more than 91% of which were open for free visitation, with 80% of counties having their own museums.
In 2025, the Yunmeng County Museum in Hubei Province attracted over one million visitors, the income from cultural and creative products of the Qingzhou City Museum in Shandong Province exceeded 30 million yuan, and the Dingzhou City Museum in Hebei Province alone stimulated consumer spending in the culture and tourism sector across the entire county to the tune of 380 million yuan during the summer period. These figures show that county-level museums have become an important force in highlighting local histories and promoting cultural education.
The scene of county museums is the homeland. The Hongshan Culture Museum in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is developing interactive courses for teenagers to introduce children to ancient civilizations; the Kangping County Museum in Liaoning Province, built in the style of the Liao (916-1125) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties, itself becomes a unique symbol of regional culture; the Lintao County Museum in Gansu Province takes exhibition stands with painted pottery of the Majiayao culture to rural squares, allowing elderly people and children to learn about history in their own yards.
The unique advantage of county-level museums lies in their deep study of local cultural heritage. The Museum of Jiangyin City in Jiangsu Province houses the most complete surviving set of ancient surgical instruments from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in China; a nautilus shell cup from the Western Jin period (265-316) in the Pizhou City Museum testifies to the prosperity of the maritime Silk Road in antiquity. The rare value of these collections and their connection to local history constitute a unique advantage that large museums find difficult to replicate.
The Chu Culture Museum in Anhui Province, located in Shouxian—the last capital of the Chu kingdom (1115-223 BC)—turns archaeological achievements into a lively cultural and tourist experience. Based on 158 gold coins of the Chu kingdom from its collection, the museum has developed cultural and creative products such as “Chu chocolate coins,” and through events like “Magic Night at the Museum,” has transformed exhibitions into interactive scenes in which visitors can participate.
For the further development of county-level museums, the State Administration for Cultural Heritage has been conducting pilot programs since 2023 to improve the quality of work of small and medium-sized museums in several regions. A cooperative model is being implemented nationwide, whereby large museums provide support to smaller ones. For example, the city of Baoding in Hebei Province collaborates closely with the Hebei Provincial Museum, jointly using exhibition resources and exchanging staff; the Shandong Provincial Museum has signed one-on-one patronage agreements with city and county museums, covering all stages of work — from exhibition planning to tour services.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an exact report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.