China’s Youth Fuel Museum Boom with Cultural Pride

Move Over TikTok—Gen Z is Swiping Right on Ancient Treasures!

China’s museums are having a glow-up , with young people leading a cultural revolution. From AR-powered artifact hunts to DIY ancient tea ceremonies, museums are ditching the dusty shelves and embracing viral-worthy innovations.

The stats? Museums skyrocketed from 5,354 in 2018 to 6,565 in 2022, per the Chinese Museums Association. And it’s not just quantity—exhibits now blend tech and tradition to make history Insta-ready. Think ‘ming Dynasty selfie zones’ and poetry slam nights!

Why Now?

‘It’s like time-traveling without a DeLorean,’ says 22-year-old Beijing student Li Wei, who’s posted museum reels with #HanfuFridays. For many, these spaces are gateways to rediscovering China’s 5,000-year legacy—one TikTok dance at a time.

This year’s International Museum Day theme, ‘Museums for Education and Research,’ hits different as institutions become hybrid hubs for learning—and serious aesthetic content.

Reference(s):

Graphics: Craze for traditional culture drives museum frenzy in China

cgtn.com