www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-18 15:28:57

By Du Guodong

BEIJING, May 18 -- The annual International Museum Day begins today with the theme "Museums & Tourism."

The goal of this year's theme is to encourage museums to strengthen relations between visitors and the local communities to promote a more sustainable environment for museums.

'Museums & Tourism' encourages museum professionals and volunteers to work together with visitors and tourists, creating interactions with local communities in order to experience heritage both inside and outside of the museum wall," said Alissandra Cummins, president of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

In Beijing, more than 30 museums are offering free entrance to the public and organizing a range of related activities, exhibitions and workshops.

In anticipation of the event, the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum invited 10 experts to help host a free seminar on antique appraisal on Friday.

More than 30 museums and heritage institutions from Beijing, Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong are also joining together to host Museums On the Go: International Museum Day 2009, Hong Kong, which showcases Hong Kong’s unique multicultural history.

The first International Museum Day was held in 1977 to encourage awareness about the role of museums in the development of society and the date has been celebrated all over the world since.

The event provides the opportunity for museum professionals to interact with the public and alert them to the challenges that museums face.

(Source: Globaltimes.cn)