Explore exhibitions to appreciate cultural heritage, engage in research to gain new knowledge, and participate in hands-on activities to experience traditional craftsmanship. During the May Day holiday, there is no need to travel far—museums serve as the finest cultural classrooms. According to information from the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, over 100 high-quality exhibitions, social education programs, research activities, and intangible cultural heritage experiences will be offered by Beijing’s museums during the 2026 May Day International Labor Day holiday, welcoming a wide range of visitors.
Beijing Meet Art Museum will host the "Encounter Angkor: Special Exhibition of Artifacts from the National Museum of Cambodia," offering audiences a glimpse of significant cultural relics from Cambodia. The China National Museum of Agriculture presents "Oriental Fine Wood: The Past and Present of Tea," a comprehensive display tracing the evolution of Chinese tea civilization. The Beijing Luxian Ancient City Site Museum’s "Pearls Shining Across North and South: Han Dynasty Bead Adornments from Beijing and Guangzhou" vividly showcases the craftsmanship of the Han Dynasty and achievements in cultural exchanges between China and other nations.
The National Art Museum of China’s "Tribute to Masters: From da Vinci to Caravaggio—Masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance" brings together 36 paintings by renowned Italian artists from the 15th to 17th centuries, illustrating the full progression from the Renaissance to Baroque art. The Chinese Museum of Gardens and Landscape Architecture’s "Exploring Gardens in Dream of the Red Chamber" uses over a hundred classical texts, paintings, and artifacts to poetically reconstruct the garden aesthetics and literati ideals depicted in the novel.
The Three Hills and Five Gardens Cultural Arts Center’s "2026 Asian Digital Art Exhibition" employs brain-computer interfaces, visual imagery, interactive installations, artificial intelligence systems, and mechanical devices to create artistic scenes where technology and traditional culture coexist. Additionally, the National Museum of Natural History’s "T-REX: The King of Dinosaurs Special Exhibition" will guide both children and adults through the dramatic history of Earth’s once-dominant terrestrial creatures.
Museum-based educational programs, research activities, and interactive workshops are diverse and engaging. These range from the National Museum of Natural History’s paleontological investigations and dinosaur skeleton assembly sessions to the Beijing Planetarium’s "Starry River Journey" dome-screen film viewing and science theater performances. Other offerings include the Fangshan Global Geopark Museum’s public rock classes and geology-themed quiz contests, the China Quaternary Glacial Relics Exhibition Hall’s "Carvers of Time" themed experiments, the Beijing Xuannan Culture Museum’s immersive guided drama "Scholars of Xuannan," and the Beijing Grand Canal Museum’s "Welcoming Summer Coolness" quilled paper fan-making workshop.
These varied research and interactive experiences take knowledge beyond textbooks, allowing children to learn through exploration and grow through practice, creating memorable family moments. Intangible cultural heritage hands-on activities are equally vibrant. The Capital Museum integrates explanations of mortise and tenon structures and Summer Begins customs into interactive sessions, helping visitors understand ancient architectural wisdom and old Beijing seasonal traditions.
The Beijing Art Museum’s "Memory on Objects" intangible cultural heritage workshop offers sessions on dyeing square scarves with sappanwood and making brooches from Song brocade, using natural dyes and traditional weaving techniques to capture the beauty of intangible heritage. The Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum (Zhihua Temple) stages two daily performances of Jing music, playing ancient melodies that highlight the elegance and unique charm of traditional music. The Beijing Rongtang Picture Storybook Museum provides picture book coloring activities and exhibitions with red themes, allowing the art of picture books to inspire young minds through fun interactions.
Each of these warm and refined hands-on experiences brings intangible cultural heritage into daily life, ensuring that the spirit of craftsmanship and the beauty of labor are passed down through generations via participation and practice.
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