Various Chinese museums have adopted innovative technologies and rolled out interactive programs to engage visitors ahead of the International Museum Day which falls on Sunday, blending cutting-edge digital tools with traditional cultural experiences.
In northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the Xixia Imperial Tombs Museum has introduced augmented reality (AR) experiences and a crime-solving role-play game set in historical scenarios.
Located in the area of the royal mausoleums of the emperors in the Western Xia Dynasty (1038-1227), the museum features many unearthed funerary objects and the remaining cultural relics such as inscriptions, stone statues and building components.
And now with a newly-installed transparent touchscreen, visitors get to explore the details of cultural relics in 720-degree examination powered by AR, while image recognition technology delivers instant exhibit details via WeChat mini-programs.
At the Bada Shanren Memorial Museum in Nanchang, capital city of east China's Jiangxi Province, visitors are trying their hands at traditional Chinese rubbing techniques - carefully pressing ink onto rice paper over stone carvings to recreate the distinctive brushstrokes of 17th-century painter Zhu Da.
The museum's concurrent painting workshops have proven particularly popular with younger visitors.
"I feel so accomplished after creating this, and it really shows the charm of Chinese ink painting," said Li Wanqi, a primary school student.
In China's southern province of Hainan, China (Hainan) Museum of the South China Sea sees an influx of visitors this week to its "Deep Blue Treasures" exhibition.
The special event features real-time updates from the ongoing excavation of two 16th-century merchant shipwrecks discovered in 2022 at a depth of 1,500 meters. For the first time, the museum has opened a visible cultural relics conservation lab where visitors can observe archaeologists restoring porcelain recovered from the sites.
Interactive tech transforms visitor experience at Chinese museums
China has turned green technologies once confined to textbooks into everyday life, said Milla, a Kazakhstan student in Beijing, as she shared her experiences and perspectives on the country’s green development and the application of new energy in daily life.
Milla described how China's push for sustainability is visible not only in national policy but also in her everyday campus life at Tsinghua University. Navigating the historic grounds, the economics student relies on a bicycle to get between classes, a choice she finds both convenient and environmentally friendly.
She added that the university actively promotes sustainability through initiatives such as recycling systems and water-conservation reminders, noting that shared bicycles have become a practical feature of campus life.
"I really love seeing how Tsinghua University is trying to become greener. There are many small initiatives that encourage students to live more sustainably, such as recycling systems, reminding not to waste water, and shared bicycles all across campus," she said.
Milla's observation extend far beyond the university gates. She noticed the rapid proliferation of electric vehicles, identifiable by their distinctive green license plates. What has left Milla an even deeper impression is the emergence of hydrogen-powered vehicles, a technology she first encountered not on the street, but in a high school textbook.
"Another thing that amazed me even more was seeing hydrogen-powered buses. I was actually so surprised when I first saw one. Hydrogen energy is something I became interested in back in 10th grade, when I first saw it in a textbook. Hydrogen can be used as a clean fuel. When hydrogen is used to produce energy, the main byproduct is water instead of harmful emissions, which makes it one of the most clean energy sources scientists are developing today. Seeing how hydrogen-powered vehicles are working in real life made me realize that technologies we once only read about in textbooks are slowly becoming a part of everyday life," said Milla.
Milla said that witnessing these technologies in action has reinforced a broader understanding of solving environmental problems.
"For me, learning about these technologies is incredibly exciting. It shows that solving environmental problems is not only about reducing emissions but it's also about innovating and thinking about new ways, how to make energy. Studying economics while still being interested in environmental protection allows me to see how technology, policy and economic systems can work together to build a cleaner and a more sustainable future," she said.
Her remarks are also being vividly manifested at the upcoming Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026 prepares to be held in Hainan from March 24 to 27, when green and smart operations will be a key feature. All venues will be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity throughout the conference, with total power consumption expected to reach about two million kilowatt-hours, equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by around 1,200 tonnes. Meanwhile, a number of AI-powered systems will be deployed for the first time.
Thousands of representatives from government, business and academia will gather under the theme "Shaping a Shared Future: New Dynamics, New Opportunities, and New Cooperation." The conference will spotlight pressing topics and build consensus on cooperation through nearly 50 sub-forums, roundtables and dialogues.
Kazakh student commends China's green tech shift from textbooks to everyday life
