Museums are popular but ease of entry is history

Changsha Museum has been active on many social media platforms, such as Sina Weibo, video-sharing platform Douyin and instant messaging app WeChat. After visiting Changsha Museum, the mother says that they planned to go to Hunan Museum, a provincial-level museum with many high-profile relics. However, tickets were snapped up before the holiday. The daily cap on visitors to the museum is 12,000. "Besides shopping and having meals at fancy restaurants, visiting museums will be added into our Spring Festival to-do list in the future," Wang says, adding that visiting museums is meaningful for her daughter.

Ji Fangfang, associate professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says that the popularity of museums during the Spring Festival holiday is a reflection of the popularity of Chinese traditional culture. Another reason is people's growing desire for spiritual enjoyment.

"In the past few years, Chinese traditional culture has been promoted at all levels and is therefore favored by the younger generations. Museums are the top choice for people to learn about Chinese culture," Ji says. "Young people also love to share their visit on social media.

"The employment of social platforms by museums, and people's sharing of their experiences online, also help to fuel the boom," Ji adds.

Zhu Youfang in Changsha contributed to this story.