Parents and children visit the Grand Canal Museum of China in Yangzhou. Photo by Meng Delong/People's Photo
"Meet Dunhuang Light and Shadow Art Exhibition" scene. Web pictures
"'Pattern' to Carry the Road - Forbidden City Tencent Immersive Digital Experience Exhibition" scene. Courtesy of the Palace Museum
Poster of the Chinese Archaeological Congress. Web pictures
2021 is the centenary of the birth of modern Chinese archaeology. Looking back on the past year, we deeply feel that the cultural relics excavated by archaeologists are "alive" in more and more rich and novel ways, and they are shining with new era brilliance. From sanxingdui archaeology live broadcast has become a hot spot on the whole network, to the "post-95" video bloggers who manually "restore" Sanxingdui gold masks and golden wands; from TV programs such as "Tang Palace Night Banquet" and "Chinese Archaeological Conference" to "museum + script killing" is highly sought after by young people... Cultural heritage is more into contemporary life, providing us with rich spiritual nourishment and cultural self-confidence.
The cultural program is new and brilliant
More than 5,000 years ago, the mysterious and intricate ornaments on the Liangzhu Jade Chun were carved with what tools? What is the purpose of the cute bronze owl statue more than 3,000 years ago? How the bronze lamp of goose fish more than 2,000 years ago combines beauty, practicality and environmental protection...
The recently launched "Chinese Archaeological Conference", led by experts, scholars and archaeologists to explore the archaeological sites, in the interesting form of puzzle solving, meticulous scene restoration, vividly tell the arduous story of archaeological excavation, reveal the Chinese wisdom contained in cultural relics, set off a hot topic on the Internet, won the attention and love of many young people.
According to statistics, after the first phase of the "China Archaeological Conference" was broadcast, the TV side reached more than 59.85 million people, the media side reached 900 million people, the main topic of the program read more than 100 million, and the related topic read exceeded 300 million, ranking first in the Weibo variety show influence list.
Chen Xingcan, member of the Faculty of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Institute of Archaeology, said that the program brings people the feeling of being on the front line of archaeology through the narration of archaeologists and on-site exploration; through dance, experimental archaeology and restoration models, the audience seems to have entered the material and spiritual world of the ancients. This program is like an archaeological documentary and an open archaeological class, but it is more complex and exciting than traditional programs, and the form is an innovation.
The second season of the popular "Ten Thousand Miles Walking Alone - China in Heritage" decodes 12 World Heritage Sites through the walking, exploration and experience of the "Wanli Youth League" to observe the current life and be close to the perspective of young people.
Shan Jixiang, president of the Chinese Cultural Relics Society and former president of the Palace Museum, who served as the cultural guide of the program, told reporters that the theme of "Ten Thousand Miles and a Single Ride" is to make cultural heritage come alive, which not only exports knowledge concepts, but also makes people feel relaxed and happy. "We sincerely look forward to allowing more young people to embark on their own journey of exploration and discovery through this program, taste the sweetness and richness of China's excellent traditional culture, fall in love with the world cultural heritage, and become their staunch guardians and inheritors."
Gao Menghe, a professor at the Department of Cultural Relics and Museology of Fudan University, believes that the cultural and museum TELEVISION programs have changed from "out of the circle" to "out of the shed", reflecting the continuous innovation of cultural heritage dissemination methods. Through the easy-to-understand form of variety shows, the achievements of Research and Protection of China's cultural heritage have been more vividly displayed to the Chinese people and the world.
The museum offers a wide range of services
On the banks of the Sanwan Ancient Canal in Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, the Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum allows the audience to immerse themselves in the thousand-year-old prosperity of the Grand Canal; in the West Hall of the Suzhou Museum, gusu culture and ancient Roman civilization have launched a dialogue across time and space; in the new museum of Hubei Province, the "world's first sword" lives in the "mansion", and the Chu state's carriage and horse travel map moves... In 2021, a number of new cultural venues will be completed and opened, becoming a local cultural event.
Huang Yang, associate professor of the Department of Cultural Relics and Museology of Nanjing Normal University, told this reporter that compared with traditional museums, the newly built museums are more expanded in functional positioning, and museums are no longer just cultural relics collection and display institutions and social education platforms, but comprehensive cultural spaces that can provide diversified services for the public. "When people come to the museum, they don't have to come to see the exhibition, they can also drink coffee, buy cultural creations, and play scripts. Exquisite cultural and creative shops and exhibition spaces are integrated, allowing people to feel the fusion of traditional culture and modern life. By taking pictures, buying, etc., you can take the museum home. ”
In addition, the museum pays more attention to meeting the needs of different groups of people in the design of exhibitions. The West Hall of Suzhou Museum has an exploration experience hall for children aged 3-12, the Yangzhou China Grand Canal Museum has designed a "Canal Wetland Fun" exhibition hall for children to explore nature, and a "Canal Lost" exhibition hall that allows teenagers to experience escape room games.
The blessing of digital technology makes the museum's viewing experience more colorful. At the Nanjing City Wall Museum, which is in trial operation, the three-fold curtain immersive theater leads the audience back to Nanjing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, to enjoy the grandeur of the Nanjing City Wall, and to feel the tribute of the envoys and the city through the street market. At the Grand Canal Museum of China in Yangzhou, board the "sand spaceship" and start a canal journey from Hangzhou to Yangzhou. At the renovated and upgraded Qinghai Provincial Museum, visitors can virtually tour the Qutan Temple, a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism, and listen to the stories of cultural relics through a self-guided tour through portable AR glasses.
"The interactive experience has become a highlight of the museum's attraction to the audience. Whether it is the use of multimedia and new technologies, or the introduction of new forms such as secret rooms and script killing, it is to enhance the audience's sense of experience, so that the audience can feel the value of historical relics and feel the charm of Chinese culture in the interaction. Huang Yang said.
Let cultural relics better integrate into life
In November 2021, the 22nd meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform deliberated and adopted the Implementation Opinions on Making Cultural Relics Come Alive and Expanding the International Influence of Chinese Culture. The meeting pointed out that it is necessary to carry out innovative services to better integrate cultural relics into life and serve the people, actively expand the platform for foreign exchanges of cultural relics, and enhance the international dissemination capacity of Chinese culture through multiple channels.
Tan Ping, director of the China Cultural Relics Exchange Center, believes that the significance of the era of "making cultural relics come alive" can be understood from two aspects. First, it is necessary to strengthen the protection and inheritance of cultural relics, give play to the important role of cultural relics in inheriting Chinese civilization and expanding the international influence of Chinese culture, continuously enhance cultural self-confidence, and provide important support for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the rational use of cultural relics, promote the opening of cultural relics resources to the public, continuously meet the growing needs of the people for a better life, and serve economic and social development.
In Huang Yang's view, to make cultural relics come alive, we must first do a good job in the study and interpretation of cultural relics. For example, the "Chinese Archaeological Congress" recreates the lives of ancients thousands of years ago in many ways, and this is based on the results of archaeological research over the years. Only by studying cultural relics well and thoroughly can we tell attractive stories.
The development of technology has also provided new opportunities for cultural relics to come alive. "Meet Dunhuang Light and Shadow Art Exhibition" uses 3D light carving digital technology to condense dunhuang grotto art into a dazzling immersive space; the Palace Museum's "Digital Forbidden City" Mini Program 2.0 adds AR real-life navigation function, and creates an AI tour guide "Little Lion", which can provide intelligent tour guide, explanation and chat services for the audience...
"Museums should not only 'invite in' the audience, but also use rich means to let more cultural relics 'go out', into public life, into people's hearts." Huang Yang said that the key to the survival of cultural relics lies in the wider dissemination of cultural relics value and the brilliance of China's excellent traditional culture in international dissemination.