On May 18th, in celebration of the 48th International Museum Day and to strengthen the sense of Community for the Chinese nation, SCMU’s School of Ethnology and Sociology (Museum of Ethnology) jointly organized a series of themed events titled “Carrying the Cultural Legacy, Forging National Unity” with the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Museum of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Cultural Relics Press. The events were held at the Museum of Ethnology located by the South Lake.
Opening Ceremony Highlights. Photographed by Chen Ruide
Sanglangzaxi, Vice Party Secretary and Vice President of SCMU, Chen Jinbao, Deputy Director of the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Museum, and Xu Haiyi, Chief Editor of Cultural Relics Press, attended the opening ceremony alongside Qian Wenbin, Party Secretary of the School of Ethnology and Sociology, as well as leaders from relevant departments such as the Publicity Department of the Party Committee, Student Affairs Department of the Party Committee, Archives (School History Museum), Library, and Youth League Committee. The opening ceremony was hosted by Chen Xiangjun, Dean of the School of Ethnology and Sociology and Director of the Museum of Ethnology.
In his opening remarks, Sanglangzaxi highlighted the significance of celebrating International Museum Day and emphasized using this opportunity to enhance cultural relic protection, education, and research, continuously driving high-quality development of the museum sector. During the opening ceremony, a signing ceremony was held to establish an internship and practice base between SCMU’s School of Ethnology and Sociology (Museum of Ethnology) and the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Museum. Additionally, a launch event was organized for the popular science book “Flowing Lights on the Silk Road: Legendary Cultural Relics on the Silk Road” and its audiobook.
After the opening ceremony, the Museum of Ethnology hosted a variety of interactive activities centered around cultural relics and museum experiences. Guests and attendees toured exhibitions. Quiz games on ethnic cultures and cultural relic puzzles attracted widespread participation from students and faculty. Other activities included intangible cultural heritage lacquered fans experience, cultural and creative product sales, and night tours of the museum. In the afternoon, Professor Fan Ke from Guizhou Minzu University delivered an engaging lecture titled “Lin Huixiang’s Academic Life and His Sentiments Towards Museums.”
Hands-on Experience with Intangible Cultural Heritage Lacquered Fans.
Photographed by Lan Lidan
Immersive Experience of Intangible Cultural Heritage Rubbings.
Photographed by Lan Lidan
It is noteworthy that prior to International Museum Day, SCMU’s Museum of Ethnology witnessed a surge in educational visits, leveraging the “Hundred Schools and Hundred Museums” platform for the “Grand Ideology and Politics Course” practical teaching initiative in Hubei Province. Over 200 children from Huashi Affiliated Sidim Kindergarten, 320 teachers and students from Huarong District Experimental Primary School in Ezhou, and 140 teachers and students from Yingcheng No.1 High School visited the museum in groups to participate in educational activities. Concurrently, the Museum of Ethnology collaborated with schools like Optics Valley Experimental Primary School to conduct popular science classes on intangible cultural heritage cloth appliqué, earning widespread acclaim from students, parents, and teachers.
Educational Field Trip Experiences. Photographed by Feng Xiaoxiao
This year’s theme for International Museum Day was “Museums for Education and Research.” Closely aligning with the overarching theme of strengthening the sense of Community for the Chinese nation, SCMU’s Museum of Ethnology brought its resources to the public free of charge. This move further enhanced the museum’s influence and knowledge dissemination capabilities, bolstering the cohesion and appeal of China’s outstanding traditional culture while driving the sustainable development of the museum sector.
Edited by Liu Qiong, reviewed by Lei Changsheng, May 20, 2024
