China to build more museums

SHENZHEN - China is to build more museums and reduce admission costs.

The government will spend 3 billion yuan (444 million U.S. dollars) a year to fund free admission, said Liu Yuzhu, head of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, at the UNESCO high level forum on museums, which began Thursday in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

The number of registered museums in China has reached 4,692, with 4,013 free to visitors since 2008, according to Liu.

Around 200 new museums are opening each year and there is now one museum for every 290,000 Chinese people.

The government aims to bring the ratio to one for every 250,000 Chinese by 2020, and attract 800 million visitors each year.

While promoting equality and expanding coverage, the government will build museums in poor and remote areas and regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, as well as setting up mobile and digital museums in communities, schools and remote areas, Liu said.