On a weekend evening in August, Chen Ling took her young daughter to Huaxi Live Wukesong in Beijing for dinner. In the square, a mythical beast inspired by the ornaments that adorn Beijing's Central Axis architecture exchanged a fist bump with a round "corn friend".
Nearby, a traditional Chinese dance performance and quiz were underway. The host introduced Maize. Gold. Jaguar: A Grand Exhibition of Ancient Maya and Andean Civilizations at the Capital Museum. Chen's daughter answered the quiz question accurately and won a commemorative coin.
The following weekend, they returned to the shopping center, viewed an exhibition of late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) embroidery, and bought tickets to that "corn" exhibition.
"We saw the sculptures and displays while having dinner at the shopping center. There happened to be an event that day, and that's how we learned about the exhibition," Chen says.
This is the experience Beijing's "One Exhibition Across the City" initiative seeks to create: Rather than waiting inside museums, exhibitions enter people's daily lives.
Launched in July by Beijing Radio and Television Station, in partnership with the Capital Museum and the Beijing Cultural Heritage Exchange Center, the initiative has extended exhibition elements into nine areas, including Tongzhou MixC, Solana shopping mall and Huaxi Live Wukesong.
