The central government will offer funding to museums and
memorial halls to support their operating expenses amid a drive to
encourage more of these venues to offer free admission, according
to statement from a senior official.
The operating expenses of all national museums and memorial
halls would be covered by the central budget, while institutions at
the provincial level would be jointly supported by the central and
local budgets, Vice Minister of Finance Zhang Shaochun said.
According to Zhang, the amount of compensation for institutions
at the provincial level would vary by location. Those in eastern
provinces, where local economies were stronger, would get 20
percent subsidies, with 60 percent funding for those in central
provinces and 80 percent for the western provinces. He didn't say
which provinces were in which category.
In a statement released on Thursday on the official website of
the Ministry of Culture, Zhang urged local budget officials to
provide for the operating expenses of museums and memorial
halls.
"The free entry of museums and memorial halls must be guaranteed
and should in no way be hampered by fund shortages," he said.
Local funding should cover improvements in museum facilities or
the costs of special or guest exhibitions. Provincial museums that
offer cheap tickets and flexible admission fees could compete for
awards and subsidies, according to the statement.
Meanwhile, central government revenues could help national
museums, whether in Beijing or other provinces, increase their
collections, adopt new display technology and enhance their
communication, said Zhang.
China issued a circular on Jan. 23 this year saying that all
museums, memorial halls and national patriotism education bases
would offer free admission by 2009, excluding cultural relics and
historical sites.
China has more than 2,300 museums with more than 20 million
exhibits. They received more than 150 million people last year.
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2008)