May 18 marks the 49th International Museum Day. From this day on, China will host several events at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing, the main venue for celebrations. Many museums across Beijing will undergo renovations and present high-level exhibitions. The "2025 Beijing Museum Season" will also kick off on the same day, featuring themed months such as the Exhibition Month and the Science and Technology Month. These events will run through October 8.

The Tongzhou Museum reopened on May 13 following an upgrade. Its exhibition area presents a thematic exhibition of the history and culture of Tongzhou, which focuses on the history of Tongzhou, with the Grand Canal culture as the "secondary thread". Centered on the theme "Tongzhou on the Grand Canal", the museum has also launched a series of "Museum Journey" activities, showcasing Tongzhou's profound historical heritage and the modern values of museums in an all-around way.

On May 18, the Dongjiao Pavilion of the China Railway Museum will launch a special exhibition titled "Tracks and Lens: Spatiotemporal Convergence of Railways and Cinema". It aims to showcase the evolution of China's railways and their profound impact on society, culture, and people's lives, exploring deep connections and interactions between railways and cinema.

On the same day, the exhibition "Exploring the World of Baba Nyonya: A Peranakan Culture Exhibition on the Maritime Silk Road" will debut at the Capital Museum. More than 100 artifacts and artifact sets, and historical images from cultural institutions such as the Asian Civilisations Museum of Singapore, will be on display, to vividly present the culture of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia.

On May 19, the "Exhibition Series on the Origins of Chinese Civilization - This is the Shang" will open at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing. The exhibition will feature 338 artifacts and artifact sets of the Shang Dynasty collected from 28 museums across China, providing a panoramic view of the early, middle, and late periods of the Shang civilization, including 54 first-grade or important ones.

As the most representative museum dedicated to the history and culture of the Han Dynasty in Beijing, the Museum of Western Han Tombs of Dabaotai, Beijing will be officially open to the public on May 20. Upon opening, it will present two major exhibitions: "Eternal Miracle - Changsha Mawangdui Han Tomb Cultural Relics Exhibition" and "Splendid Legacy of Metropolitan Between Bo and Jie and Cultural Prosperity in Land of Yan - Han Civilization under Glorious Rule of Emperors Zhao and Xuan".

In addition, the National Museum of China will present "Journey Back Home - An Exhibition on China's Achievements in Cultural Relic Repatriation in New Era" and "Pompeii: The Eternal Discovery". The Beijing Art Museum will also present "Auspicious Phoenix and Blessing Calls - An Exhibition of Bird-Themed Artifacts from Ming and Qing Dynasties".

(Sources: The Beijing News, Xinhuanet)