It should not have taken so long. But finally it has arrived. By
2009, except for some special historical buildings and ruins, all
public museums under the jurisdiction of the cultural authorities
will stop charging entrance fees.
No doubt this is very good news for overseas tourists, who might
otherwise be confused by the functions of our public museums.
For museum visitors in particular, the waiver will make their
China experience richer, yet a lot cheaper.
If the decision-makers did not have foreign guests in mind when
they worked on the project, this is a huge bonus. Free access to
the variety of museums will facilitate outsider appreciation of our
peculiar history and culture.
Our curious guests deserve to know how much more this country
has to offer - much more than fancy delicacies and inexpensive
silk.
The authorities have spent a lot in the past year on campaigns
to promote cultural understanding overseas. There were big-budget
exhibitions and shows of all kinds.
Offering free access to public museums, as we see it, is a
cost-effective supplement and a boost on the home front to those
endeavors of promotion.
The foremost beneficiaries, however, are the average
Chinese.
In the first place, we see an additional sign that public
finance is truly being re-oriented to upgrade public welfare. It is
reassuring to see the tax levied on us is being allocated in a more
sensible manner. Our State coffers are capable of providing more
for public-interest undertakings. It is good to see public museums
getting their due share.
Museums are great venues to help nurture a basic sense of our
culture and history. This is essential for a shared sense of
identity.
Entrance fees might not be the only cause of the generally low
visitor flow at our museums. But they suffice to prevent many from
visiting.
The irony is while most charge for entrance, few public museums
are living on box-office revenues.
Instead, many continue to rely heavily on government subsidies.
And they keep crying for more.
There is no better remedy than the State assuming full financial
responsibility for such facilities.
Good to see the government is finally standing out.
(China Daily January 29, 2008)