Museums Struggle to Engage Visitors Amidst Obscure Characters and Lackluster Explanations

Beijing, China – As museums across China experience a surge in popularity, particularly among families with young children, a growing concern has emerged: the difficulty in understanding exhibits due to the use of obscure characters and inadequate explanations.

The issue is particularly evident at the China Geological Museum, renowned for its collection of fossils, specimens, gemstones, and jade. While the museum attracts a significant numberof children during the summer holidays, many find themselves bewildered by the intricate descriptions on display.

What kind of stone is this? What is this mineral? What is this specimen? These questions echo throughout the museum as children, accompanied by their parents, struggle to decipher the exhibits. While each display features an explanatory plaque, many contain archaic characters without pinyin (romanization), leaving both children and adults stumped.

Parents often find themselves resorting to their smartphones, desperately searching for definitions in dictionaries. However, even when they manage to decipher the characters, they may lack the scientific knowledge to explain the exhibits to their children. For example, the term 黑云闪长玢岩 (black cloud閃長玢岩), which refers to a type of rock, includes thecharacter 玢, which has two pronunciations: fēn and bīn. This leaves parents uncertain about the correct pronunciation and unable to provide a clear explanation.

The situation is further complicated by the use of specialized terminology, which can be challenging even for adults with a strong vocabulary. For instance, a fossil labeled 蜓 (tíng) baffled a parent who was unable to find the character in a standard dictionary. It was only after consulting a more comprehensive dictionary, such as the Cihai (辞海), that the parent discovered the character’s meaning: 蜻蜓 (qīngtíng), meaning dragonfly.

Similar challenges arise at the Beijing Stone Carving Art Museum. The exquisite 六拏具 (liù ná jù) carvings on the Five Pagoda Temple’s金刚宝座塔券门 (Jīnggāng Bǎozuò Tǎ Quàn Mén) are rendered inaccessible to many visitors due to the unfamiliar character 拏 (ná). Similarly, the inscription 釐延千梵 (lí yán qiān fàn) on a painting’s explanatory plaque presents a hurdle for viewers, as the character 釐 (lí) has threepossible pronunciations: lí, xǐ, and xī. Without a knowledgeable guide, visitors are left to guess the meaning and pronunciation.

Beyond the issue of obscure characters, many explanatory plaques suffer from brevity, leaving visitors with a limited understanding of the exhibits. At the Capital Museum, a mother andson visiting from another province attempted to decipher the purpose of three pottery pieces. The pottery dish looks like our fruit bowl at home, so maybe it was used to hold fruit, the mother speculated. The pottery盨 (bów) has a handle, so maybe it was for holding soup? Thispottery匜 (yǐ) has a spout, so it must be for pouring wine, the son added. However, the explanatory plaques only provided the names, dates, and origins of the exhibits, neglecting to explain their functions.

Similarly, at the Capital Museum, visitors found themselves struggling to understand thepurpose of a 錾花金什件 (zàn huā jīn shí jiàn), a set of ten gold items with engraved patterns. The plaque simply listed the items, leaving visitors to speculate about their intended use.

These challenges highlight the need for museums to adopt more accessible and comprehensive approachesto exhibit explanations. Clearer and more detailed descriptions, including pinyin for unfamiliar characters, would greatly enhance the visitor experience, particularly for children and those unfamiliar with Chinese calligraphy. Museums should also consider offering audio guides or interactive displays to provide more in-depth information and engage visitors on a deeper level.

By addressing these concerns, museums can ensure that their valuable collections are accessible to a wider audience, fostering a greater appreciation for China’s rich cultural heritage.

【source】http://www.chinanews.com/sh/2024/08-27/10275122.shtml

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