BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- China will launch its second national survey of movable cultural relics during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) to strengthen museum management and safeguard cultural heritage, a senior official said Tuesday.
The survey will be part of broader efforts to improve museum governance, protect collections and promote the high-quality development of the country's museum sector, Deng Chao, deputy head of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, told a news conference.
China will strengthen the inventory and documentation of collections at state-owned museums, improve the classification of cultural relics and launch a program to restore valuable items in museum collections, Deng said.
The country will also refine museum management systems, strengthen professional ethics education for museum staff and encourage public oversight. Revisions to the regulations governing museums will be advanced to further standardize their operations, he said.
The planned measures come amid heightened public scrutiny of museum collection management following a high-profile controversy involving the Nanjing Museum in east China's Jiangsu Province. An investigation found irregularities in the transfer and sale of five donated paintings, raising concerns about the protection and management of museum collections.
Xu Huping, the museum's former head, was sentenced to three years in prison for accepting bribes. Other institutions and individuals found responsible for violations or failures in oversight were also held accountable.
Deng said China would direct more resources toward the conservation of cultural relics themselves, laying a stronger foundation for the sustainable development of museums.
Beyond collection protection, China will focus on improving the distribution of museums nationwide and enhancing their services, particularly at the grassroots level, during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
The number of museums in China rose from 5,788 to 7,188 during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), with the country's museums receiving a combined total of more than 6.2 billion visits, Deng said. They held 224,000 exhibitions and organized 2.25 million educational activities over the five-year period.
Traveling to cities specifically to see exhibitions has repeatedly become a cultural phenomenon, while museum visits have increasingly become part of everyday life, he said.
However, imbalances and shortcomings in the sector's development have also become more apparent, Deng noted.
To address these challenges, China will improve planning for museum construction, promote differentiated development based on individual institutions' strengths and characteristics, and guard against redundant projects. It will also encourage the establishment of museums in suitable historic buildings and industrial heritage sites, making better use of existing heritage assets.
The country will further launch an initiative to upgrade small and medium-sized museums by optimizing resource allocation and piloting support mechanisms.
Under the initiative, major national and provincial museums will be encouraged to support smaller institutions through partnerships, touring exhibitions and closer cooperation. The aim is to bring high-quality exhibitions and other cultural resources to local communities while improving smaller museums' collections management, exhibitions, educational programs and professional staffing.
Deng said the initiative would help smaller museums become key providers of cultural services at the grassroots level, allowing more people to enjoy high-quality exhibitions outside of major cities. ■
