During the Chinese New Year holiday in February, a record 89.5 million visitors flocked to museums across China — a 27.6 percent increase from the previous Spring Festival, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration. More than 12,000 special exhibitions and about 29,000 educational programs were held nationwide, reflecting a growing enthusiasm for cultural experiences.
The surge in museum attendance mirrors the country's rapid museum expansion. Over the past five years, the number of museums has grown from 5,788 to 7,046: the equivalent of one new museum opening every two days. Yet, despite this remarkable growth, challenges remain.
"We've built a considerable number of museums. Even small cities now have grand facilities. But quality remains a problem — exhibitions, artifacts and curatorial teams have not kept pace," says Li Qun, former director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.
Li notes that China's expanding museum sector also faces structural imbalances. "Major museums have abundant collections but limited space, leaving many rare artifacts unseen. On the other hand, many city — or county-level museums have ample exhibition spaces, yet lack compelling artifacts or high-quality curatorial teams," he explains.
As a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Li is advocating the development of branch museums for major institutions to address these disparities.
By establishing satellite museums in small cities, major museums can create a system where headquarters and branches work together more efficiently, he explains. This approach makes it easier to manage and coordinate resources, such as collection management, exhibition planning, staffing, and funding. Ultimately, it helps create a more balanced museum network and ensures broader access to basic cultural services.
"It's not just a Chinese endeavor; the headquarters-branch model has become an important trend in global museum development," Li says.
Countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France have stepped up their efforts to build branch museums since the 20th century. Developing countries have also adopted the approach. In Kenya, for instance, the Nairobi National Museum under the National Museums of Kenya has established 21 regional branches.
China has already experimented with similar headquarters-branch models. The Nanjing Museum Administration in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, pioneered this practice in 2014, integrating seven museums and two research institutes across the city under a single administrative umbrella. In 2018, the Qinghai Provincial Museum in Xining, Qinghai province, partnered with the municipal museum in Golmud, turning the latter into a branch museum in the same province.
Another prominent example is the Palace Museum in Beijing. In collaboration with Hong Kong's West Kowloon Cultural District, the Palace Museum signed an agreement in 2017 to establish the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which opened in July 2022. By October 2025, the Hong Kong branch had welcomed nearly 3.5 million visitors, displaying masterpieces from Beijing's vast collections on a rotating basis.
Li describes the project as a successful national-level example of the headquarters-branch model. It also demonstrates how the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong can collaborate to share and preserve cultural heritage.
Looking ahead, Li sees promise in expanding this system to smaller museums in rural or less-developed areas. Beyond national borders, he envisions Chinese museums establishing overseas branches to promote cross-cultural exchange.
"Some major international museums not only establish domestic branches but also expand their reach overseas, extending their cultural influence," Li adds.
He points to the Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, opened in 2017 under a 30-year agreement between France and the UAE. The museum houses around 700 permanent pieces while borrowing works from premier French institutions like the Orsay Museum in Paris. Similarly, the Guggenheim Museum in New York has leveraged brand licensing to establish high-profile branches in cities across the globe.
"Their pioneering work in building headquarters-branch systems has reshaped the global museum landscape. China can certainly draw inspiration from their experiences,"Li says.
