Across China: Chinese museums use technology for immersive Spring Festival experiences

YINCHUAN, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- At the foot of the Helan Mountain in Yinchuan, capital city of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, a corridor within the Xixia Imperial Tombs Museum has been transformed into a bustling street scene from a millennium ago during the Spring Festival holiday.

Actors clad in traditional costumes of the Song (960-1279) and Xixia (1038-1227) dynasties greeted tourists, while images of "Flying Apsaras" -- celestial figures from ancient murals -- danced amidst lighting and mist.

The immersive performance, titled "Xixia Musical Gathering," is the centerpiece of the museum's New Year celebrations.

By turning a 300-meter passage into a moving stage, the event recreates vivid scenes of multi-ethnic coexistence and cultural fusion in China around 1,000 years ago, offering visitors a unique "walk-and-watch" experience.

"It felt like a true time-travel experience," said Wang Fei, a tourist from north China's Shanxi Province who visited with his family.

Wang noted that his children were thrilled to interact with performers portraying historical characters and try traditional games like "pitch-pot" and archery.

"With technology and cultural activities empowering the museum, history has become vivid and accessible. It allows the younger generation to truly understand fine traditional culture while having fun," Wang said, adding that the experience made the Spring Festival more meaningful.

Chen Xiaoxu, head of marketing at Xixia Imperial Tombs Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd., said the performance features over 50 professional actors, with costumes and market settings recreated from museum artifacts and historical documents.

"We aim to change the stereotype that the Xixia Imperial Tombs are merely 'earthen mounds' and instead, we use immersive experiences to convey the value of the World Heritage site," Chen said, noting a significant increase in visitor numbers due to the performance.

The tourist enthusiasm in Ningxia mirrors a nationwide trend as museum tourism has emerged as a new way for many to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Across the country, museums are moving beyond static exhibitions, adopting interactive and immersive activities to attract holiday crowds.

In central China's Henan Province, the Zhengzhou Shang Dynasty capital ruins museum launched an immersive theater production, inviting audiences to participate in Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) sacrificial rituals.

In north China, the Inner Mongolia Museum introduced a role-playing trade experience, allowing tourists to simulate ancient commerce between the grasslands and the Central Plains.

Technological innovation has further enriched these cultural offerings. The Qinghai Provincial Museum introduced virtual reality experiences allowing visitors to "touch" history, while the National Maritime Museum of China offered digital deep-sea explorations.

To accommodate the surge in visitors, cultural institutions have expanded services. More than 40 museums in Henan and 79 in east China's Jiangsu Province extended their opening hours during the holiday.

"Museums are no longer 'aloof' venues but are becoming popular public spaces for social and cultural engagement," said Zhang Wanjing, a researcher at the Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences.

Zhang attributed the trend to the rising living standards and the growing public interest in traditional culture.

"When cultural relics meet the festive air of the New Year, the immersive experience becomes an essential part of the Spring Festival holiday," Zhang said. ■