China to air mini-documentaries on museum relics

A series of short videos documenting cultural relics from China’s major museums will be aired on the state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) starting Monday.

In these short videos, viewers can enjoy the charms of national treasures from 130 state-level museums and 13 major galleries nationwide, with the relics introduced by museum curators.

“The series of videos has a very strong lineup, with an unprecedented number of museums and galleries taking part,” said Bai Yuntao, vice curator of the National Museum of China.

For most medium- and large-sized museums, less than 10 percent of portable cultural artifacts are exhibited, Bai said, noting that the documentary series enables the public to learn more about national treasures that are not on display.

The video series, named Bowuguan Shuo, literally meaning the stories of museums, has been played on popular video platforms such as Xuexi.cn, a news reading app, and video streaming platforms iQIYI and Kuaishou.