The National Natural History Museum of China Photo: Li Hao/GT

The National Natural History Museum of China has decided to extend its opening hours. This change will take effect on August 1 and last to the end of August, moving closing time from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. This is in line with the new Chinese policy to enrich and expand cultural tourism. The museum has also launched a "Night at the Museum" activity to enrich the summer life of the public and meet the needs of visitors. 

On Monday, the National Development and Reform Commission issued a new policy to enrich and expand cultural tourism, which includes guiding museums, cultural centers and amusement parks to extend their opening hours, and support the construction of "24-hour living circles" in areas with the right conditions. 

The National Natural History Museum of China is giving the public a choice of various events, like watching films, visiting the museum at night and listening to lectures.  

The biggest difference between this year's "Night at the Museum" activity, compared with previous years, is that it marks the return of the much-loved children's program "Overnight at the Museum." Participating families will experience a series of interesting educational activities such as learning in the museum's exhibition halls, self-exploration, 4D live-action storytelling, science experiments and a unique experience of spending a night with dinosaurs in the dinosaur park. 

In order to make the public feel the excitement of visiting the museum at night, scientific researchers from the Chinese National Natural History Museum will be present in the exhibition hall during the night to bring "specimen zero distance" activities to the public. They will be available to offer the public explanations of the mystery of the exhibits inside the museum. 

"I saw this event online and made an appointment to take my child to the museum. This isn't just for children. I also love to visit this museum. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the museum night tour, we were all so excited," Dong Jiaxing, a visitor from Shanghai, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

Museum fever is spreading across the country, a number of museums have extended their opening hours in East China's Jiangsu Province. 

Nine museums in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, such as the Suzhou Museum, extended their service hours to 9:00 pm on Tuesday. They have also launched more than 40 exhibitions, lectures and various kinds of online and offline experiential activities. 

On Monday, Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang Province, adjusted its opening hours for 52 municipal state-owned museums.