The 49th International Museum Day was observed on May 18, 2025, with the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing serving as the main venue. Coinciding with the event, the 2025 Beijing Museum Season was launched, featuring thematic monthly activities, including the Month of Exhibition and the Month of Science and Technology. The Beijing Museum Season will run through October 8.
The exhibition "This Is the Shang", part of the Exhibition Series on the Origins of Chinese Civilization, opened at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing on May 19, with 338 artifacts and artifact sets from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century to 11th century BC) collected from 28 museums and other cultural institutions across China. This comprehensive exhibition covers the early to late civilization phases of the Shang Dynasty, featuring 54 Grade I cultural artifacts and artifact sets and other key artifacts.
In addition to the iconic artifacts from the Shang Dynasty, there are several other must-see art exhibitions. Please don't miss them!
Eternal Scenery: Oil Paintings Since the 19th Century
The exhibition features a curated selection of nearly 100 European oil paintings dating back to the 19th century from the museum's collection, including works from masters such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Eugène Boudin, and Théodore Rousseau, systematically presenting the evolution of European societal perspectives on nature since the 19th century.
Venue: Meet You Museum, Beijing
Dates: April 17 to June 29, 2025
Daedalus: Legends of Crete
This is China's first thematic special exhibition on Minoan culture, featuring 172 precious cultural artifacts and artifact sets from the museum's collection and one modern replica. Consisting of six sections, namely "Mythology", "Labyrinth", "Bronze", "Artisans", "Sculptures", and "Voyages", it systematically presents the glorious achievements of the Minoan culture between approximately 3000 BC and 1100 BC.
Venue: Palace Museum
Dates: April 15 to July 27, 2025
Asia Digital Art Exhibition
Themed "Multi-Intelligence Community", the exhibition brings together works co-created by Chinese and foreign artists with artificial intelligence (AI). Focusing on AI, it is aimed at establishing an internationally renowned "human-machine collaborative art experimentation platform".
Venue: Sanshan Wuyuan Cultural Arts Center
Dates: March 27 to September 28, 2025
In Beijing, a "city of museums", exhibitions of diverse themes are unveiling the secrets of civilizations through distinctive approaches. It's time to go to these exhibitions with your friends!
(Sources: The Beijing News, official website of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality)
