Photo: Courtesy of National Treasure

The ninth episode of the fourth season of Chinese historical entertainment show National Treasure aired on Sunday, delving into Jilin Provincial Museum to narrate the histories of several precious ancient pieces, including a vase used to hide secret documents of the Jilin special branch of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and an octagonal bronze mirror with Khitan inscriptions, a proto-Chinese language.

The show, which invites celebrities to explore China's history through performances that help bring to life exceptional artifacts from China's museum collections, has been a huge hit since the first series.

With this, all 27 national treasures from nine major cultural institutions, including the Palace Museum and Tianjin Museum, have been showcased to the audience in the fourth season. This not only helps national treasures gain wider recognition but also allows viewers to see the wisdom and strength rooted in Chinese civilization and experience how traditional Chinese culture shines in the new era.

"If it weren't for this episode of National Treasure, I might never have known that such artifacts can now be viewed in an underwater museum. I must visit Chongqing next time to see the Yangtze River and enjoy the beautiful landscapes," one netizen wrote on social media about Baiheliang Underwater Museum, which is located along the Yangtze River in Fuling county, downstream from the urban core of Southwest China's Chongqing. The online enthusiasm has also sparked a new wave of "museum fever" offline.

Meanwhile, in the downtown, after the Chongqing episode of the fourth season aired, the Three Gorges Museum in the metropolis was booked out for visits the next day. It has been almost impossible to get tickets for the museum, which is open from Tuesday to Sunday, prompting the museum to extend its opening hours from July 20 to meet the high demand.

The broadcast also brought widespread attention to artifacts exhibited in Fujian Museum in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian Province. As a result, from July 18, Fujian Museum has organized a special exhibition to display these artifacts tracing the enduring humanistic spirit of Fujian. The well-preserved and finely made garments from Huang Sheng's tomb provide rich physical evidence for studying the attire and lives of noble women in the late Southern Song Dynasty (960-1279).

In recent years, significant progress has been made in the protection, utilization, and inheritance of cultural heritage in China. Museums have become memory halls of civilization for future generations through the preservation, research and display of ancient artifacts that have withstood the test of time.

National Treasure has once again brought renewed enthusiasm for history and cultural tourism, encouraging people to visit destinations for their museums. The trend has propelled museums to become among the top attractions for summer cultural tourism.

The show also tells modern stories out of ancient artifacts. From the first steps of ancient Qinghai people exploring the world over 3,000 years ago, to Confucius traveling across states to promote education; from Han Dynasty envoy Zhang Qian embarking on a 13-year journey to open an unprecedented Silk Road in the 2nd century BC, to the heroic Red Army soldiers completing the Long March in worn-out grass shoes, the show tells the story of "11 pairs of shoes."

This demonstrates that for thousands of years, generations of Chinese people have never stopped exploring the world, and Chinese visitors are eager to explore more of China's vast cultural history.

Global Times