Recently, there have been many reports about cultural facilities like libraries and museums opening to the public for free. That's only the first step toward offering better public cultural service, said a column in People's Daily (excerpts below).

Have you visited public museums or exhibition centers recently? You must remember seeing a sign with two big, cold words: "Staff only".

Of course, those who manage these public cultural facilities have the right to reserve one part for its daily operations, but they often take up too much space and what they occupy are often some of the best parts. The Palace Museum, for example, has only opened 45 percent of all its space to tourists.

Worse, many scandals have revealed that managers of public cultural facilities rent the best parts for private clubs to grab commercial profits.

This summer, many provinces and cities have opened more public cultural facilities for tourists. That's a good move, but more needs to be done. The government can start by promoting transparency and opening more parts of museums or exhibition centers, so that people will learn more about our own history and valuable culture, and more importantly, know that their tax dollars are being appropriately.