Eagle-eyed lovers of history can compete for a top prize of 5,000 yuan in an online treasure hunt launched by the city's cultural heritage authority on Tuesday.

The online contest, called simply "Treasure Hunt in Museums", features about 100 museums and nearly 200 "treasures". Hunters will need sharp eyes to recognize 100 treasures and match them with their museums.

It is the first time the authority has run an online contest, said Ha Jun at the Beijing administration of cultural heritage on Monday.

"Some of the treasures are one of a kind, such as the Jin Ou Yong Gu Bei, a wine cup made of gold and decorated with jewelry. It was Emperor Qianlong's favorite goblet," Ha told METRO.

"The treasure hunters can get to know the stories associated with these valuable exhibits."

Although there is no "treasure map", he said surfing the museum websites and visiting the museums in person will offer clues.

The treasure hunt is part of celebrations for the 35th International Museums Day on May 18 and aims to get more people interested in the city's rich cultural heritage collections.

It will run from March 22 to May 12, with winners selected at random from those who make the right matches.

This is the fourth annual treasure hunt. In the three previous competitions, residents were invited to take part in treasure hunts in some of the city's museums.

"Altogether only several hundred participated," said Xue Jian, the chief organizer. "We hope this year's online contest can attract more people and boost their interest in visiting museums."

Xue said the competition is only open to those with a Chinese ID.

Beijing has 152 registered museums, according to official statistics, which not only includes those run by the government, but also a number of private museums.

To register for this year's treasure hunt, log on to bjww.gov.cn and follow the links.