Over 50 Top Chinese Museums Converge in Yinzhou for "China’s Finest Cultural Exhibition," Drawing 80,000 Visitors

On June 2, at 9 p.m., the "China’s Finest Cultural Exhibition" concluded at Shuijie in Yinzhou’s Southern Business District. Themed “2000 Miles of Siming Mountains: Song Dynasty Charm and Maritime Silk Road,” the event brought together over 50 museums, cultural institutions, and intangible heritage brands from across China, creating a vibrant cultural and creative showcase that attracted 80,000 visitors.

Organized by China National Geographic magazine, the exhibition featured prominent institutions such as the Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Gansu Provincial Museum, He’nan Museum, Yin Xu Museum, China Numismatic Museum, Potala Palace, Qingdao Beer Museum, and Wu-Yue Culture Museum. These museums showcased replicas of their signature treasures and offered 4,000 cultural and creative products, including Palace Museum stationery, phoenix crown fridge magnets, “King Fuchai of the Wu” bronze swords, and miniature Changxin Palace lanterns.

Visitors marveled at the chance to experience these cultural treasures up close. The Palace Museum stationery booth was full of visitors, with pens, bookmarks, notepads, and exam-themed gift sets selling out quickly. Gansu Provincial Museum’s lifelike bronze galloping horse series—featuring “Jump Jump,” “Dash Dash,” and “Black Horse”—was a crowd favorite, with nearly every visitor snapping one up. Dingling Museum’s Twelve Dragons and Nine Phoenixes Crown and Emperor Wanli’s golden-winged crown, crafted with intricate aluminum foil techniques, captured the ornate patterns and delicate textures of the originals, with gold threads and feather-like details vividly displayed. Many popular items sold out within two hours.

Miss Jiang, a museum enthusiast from Zhoushan, described the experience as “wandering through the river of history.” She made a special trip during the holiday to attend, saying, “Seeing so many museum treasures in one place was eye-opening!” She proudly showed off her newly purchased cultural products.

To immerse visitors in a time-traveling experience, the event featured interactive activities. A “Passport to Culture” game allowed participants, guided by NPCs in Song Dynasty attire, to collect a “travel document” and earn limited-edition museum stamps to exchange for small gifts.

As night fell, the intangible heritage performance zone came alive with captivating shows. Alongside Ningbo’s Yongju and Yueju opera performances, Anhui’s provincial intangible heritage, the 600-year-old Wangmantian Fish Lantern parade, dazzled crowds as giant fish lanterns wove through the modern skyscrapers of the Southern Business District’s CBD. “You don’t need a grand theater to enjoy intangible heritage opera or travel far to see the Wangmantian Fish Lantern parade,” said local resident Wang. “This holiday was colorful and culturally enriching.”

The intangible heritage experience zone highlighted Ningbo’s cultural essence with seven activities, including cinnabar lacquered wood carving, gold and silver embroidery “ingot DIY,” insect-themed crafts from the Zhou Yao Insect Museum, and porcelain painting at the Ningbo Ceramic Culture Art Museum. These hands-on experiences showcased artisan craftsmanship. Coinciding with the Dragon Boat Festival and Children’s Day, the event became a cultural classroom for families. Zhou, who brought her 8-year-old son, praised the setup: “Learning about traditional culture while trying intangible heritage crafts is such a rare, immersive educational experience!”

Visitors could also enjoy free Song Dynasty-style makeup sessions by professional artists, engaging in a “dialogue across time” with their transformed selves. Additional attractions included a dragon boat racing installation, a giant Ningbo photo wall, and a “Top Scholar” check-in wall, adding fun and cultural depth. “This event allowed citizens to not only admire artifacts but also engage in cultural interactions and NPC games, making it a key window into history’s charm during the Dragon Boat Festival,” said a spokesperson from the Ningbo Southern Business District Management Office.