Xi'an airport opens world's first on-site museum for passengers

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Xi'an Xianyang International Airport unveiled the world's first airport on-site museum Wednesday, inviting travelers to explore Chinese culture during their layover.   Travelers at the airport's Terminal 5 can now explore the Western Airport Museum, a 6,400 square meter space designed to transform waiting time into a cultural journey.

"The biggest feature of the Western Airport Museum is the unique combination of airport plus museum. The main exhibits are artifacts unearthed during the constructions of airport. There are very few places in the world where an airport can showcase artifacts excavated from its site that carry rich historical stories. Xi'an [Xianyang International] Airport indeed has exceptional advantages to achieve this," said Chen Yao, project manager of the Western Airport Museum.   There're two halls in the Western Museum, one is the "Square Hall", which covers an area of 400 square meters, and the other is "Treasure Hall", which covers an area of 88 square meters. 

The Square Hall is the basic exhibition, and 121 cultural relics unearthed in the airport archaeological excavations over the years are the main exhibits. 

The Treasure Hall curates special exhibitions, displaying only one cultural relic at a time and replacing the exhibits every three to six months.

The West Airport Museum is closed every Monday and Chinese New Year's Eve after its official opening. The museum has a reservation system, which allows visitorsto make reservations online.   "In our museum, there are free tours by volunteer tour guides throughout the day, and many activities including the intangible cultural heritage exhibition, cultural and creative exhibition and scientific and technological experience," said Chen.

Xi'an airport opens world's first on-site museum for passengers

Iranians have gathered at Tehran's Enghelab Square on Sunday in support of the government after the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli attacks on Saturday.

The Iranian government announced a 40-day mourning period after the report of the leader's death.

"It is our duty as a people to preserve calm and unity, and we must be strong — and we are. Our sorrow is for ourselves, because the Leader has achieved his wish: martyrdom on this path. The armed forces must respond to this act in the most forceful and powerful way possible and avenge this blood," said Minoo, a protester.

"We are in deep mourning, but this heavy grief does not mean we have become weak. Rather, it makes us, the people, more resilient in the face of Iran's enemies," said Fatemeh, another protester.

"The Supreme Leader was like a father to us, and it feels as though we have lost our own father. We call on the armed forces to give a decisive response to this aggression," said Pooya, a local resident.

On Saturday morning, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities. Iran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases across the region.

Several Iranian senior officials, including Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Abdolrahim Mousavi, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Secretary of the Defense Council Ali Shamkhani, and Mohammad Pakpour, chief commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, were also killed in the strike.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society said that the strikes hit at least 24 of Iran's 31 provinces, with 201 deaths and 747 injuries reported so far.

Iranians mourn supreme leader's death, vow solidarity