Beijing drafts legislation to become world-class 'City of Museums'

Beijing is drafting legislation to support its initiative to become a world-class "City of Museums".

According to the proposed rules made during a meeting of the municipal people's congress on Wednesday, the city plans to incentivize the transformation of disused factory buildings into museum spaces and encourage museums to extend their daily opening hours.

The draft emphasizes the development plans for local museums and aims to integrate museums more deeply into local cultural and tourism activities.

Under the proposed regulations, Beijing would provide guidance to ensure the coordinated development of museums across different regions and integrate more sources among private and public institutions.

The initiative will support the establishment of high-caliber museums with international stature, while prioritizing unique venues that highlight four signature aspects of Beijing culture: ancient capital heritage, revolutionary culture, traditional Beijing folk culture, and innovation-driven modern culture.

Additionally, the draft encourages the opening of boutique museums in districts which are short in usable space.