To mark the International Museum Day on May 18, Shenzhen Museum will host a series of free events for visitors this week. Coordinated by the International Council of Museums, the International Museum Day provides an opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and serves as a platform to raise public awareness on the role museums play in the development of society today. This year’s theme is “museums and contested histories: saying the unspeakable in museums.”

Antique appraisal service

Local antique experts will offer a comprehensive and professional artifact appraisal service for collectors. Just show up, no advanced sign-up is needed.

Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., May 18

Extension of opening hour

On May 18, the opening hours at the museum will be extended to 9 p.m. Two exhibitions are being held at the museum. One features paintings by Li Keran, which will last until May 21. More than 20 paintings created by Chinese master Li Keran are on display at an exhibition organized by Xuzhou City, Li’s hometown in Jiangsu Province. Another 100 paintings by other Xuzhou artists, as well as calligraphic rub pieces and a holographic projection of ancient stone carvings, are also on display. The other exhibition showcases Taoist cultural relics on loan from Hubei Provincial Museum and Wudang Museum in Central China’s Hubei Province. The exhibition, which ends June 21, features the rich and ancient history of Taoist culture.

Guide to Taoist exhibition

Shenzhen Museum will offer a comprehensive guide to its Taoist cultural relics exhibition. The event will be in Chinese and is open to a maximum of 30 visitors. Entry admission will be given on a first-come-first-served basis.

Time: 7:30-8:30 p.m., May 18

Documentary

Chinese documentary “Masters in the Forbidden City” will be shown. It follows the lives of relic restorers in China’s imperial palace who are painstakingly piecing together antiques that are thousands of years old. The documentary uses the latest technology to scan the old palace to uncover the secret restoration technology used in antiquity. It not only combs the history of Chinese antique restoration, but also takes a close look at the daily life of these masters.

Time: 7:30-9 p.m., May 18

Ship model making

Attendees will be instructed on how to make a model of Minghua, a former French passenger ship created in 1962 and now a tourist attraction in Shekou. The event only accept 20 attendees aged above 6.

Time: 2:30-4:30 p.m., May 21

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Souvenirs

Visitors can claim free International Museum Day souvenir cards and Shenzhen Museum passports at the museum’s service counter May 18-21.

The above events will be held at Shenzhen Museum, Block A, Civic Center, Futian District (福田区市民中心A区深圳博物馆)

Metro: Line 2 or 4, Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit B

Walking in Shenzhen

Shenzhen Museum will organize a tour to Nantou, an ancient walled city on the sea route in South China. Now in downtown Nanshan District, Nantou was once regarded as the gatekeeper of the Pearl River and a number of historic buildings in the town have undergone reservation efforts. The tour is open to a maximum of 30 people aged above 10 and the route will include the Tomb of the Young Song Emperor, Chiwan Tianhou Temple, Chiwan Left Fort, China Merchants Group Historical Museum and Nantou Old Town.

Date: May 20

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