Changning highlights 'red culture' by opening sites free for a month

Changning District made over 30 museums and historical sites free from today for a monthlong event to celebrate International Museum Day, which falls on Friday this year.

A number of routes have been designed for residents and tourists to check out its 36 museums, art exhibitions and former residences of well-known people through June 18, according to the Jiangsu Road Subdistrict who are organizing the festival.

This is one of the ways the city is promoting “red culture” this year, celebrating the fact that Shanghai served as the birthplace of the Communist Party of China.

Twenty-five heritage sites are open to the public where early CPC members and reformists carried out secret activities. They include an exhibition hall about revolutionary history in Changning on Yuyuan Road, which once served as the editorial department for an early, key CPC publication titled Bolshevik.

Exhibitions, photos and videos are being displayed within the historic sites, while historians have also been invited to tell stories to visitors, an official with the subdistrict said. 

QR codes have been attached on each of the historical structures for visitors to scan and read the history of the buildings via their smartphones.

Some sightseeing tours will be arranged along Yuyuan Road to allow participants to feel the traditional flavor of the city, as well as learn more about the CPC's history in the downtown region.

The event is also part of the city government’s plan to develop the city into an international cultural metropolis by shaping its rich culture and promoting it worldwide.