Bao'an kicks off Cultural Heritage Month with 31 events

In celebration of the 50th International Museum Day and China’s 21st Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, the Bao’an District 2026 Cultural Heritage Month launched at the Eyes of the GBA book mall on May 16.

The Eyes of the GBA mall, the main venue for the cultural heritage month, has been transformed into an open-air urban cultural lounge featuring two exhibitions. In the south wing, an exhibition showcases collaborative designs between the Bao’an Museum and Shenzhen Polytechnic University where students reinterpret museum artifacts through modern design. Meanwhile the north wing hosts a micro-exhibition using digital creative formats to breathe new life into key heritage sites like the Longjin Stone Pagoda.

The launch ceremony of the Bao’an Cultural Heritage Month held at the Eyes of the GBA on May 16. Photo by Song Lu

This year’s Bao’an Cultural Heritage Month features 31 activities categorized into four thematic sections of “Museum Bao’an,” “Academic Bao’an,” “Shared Bao’an,” and “Touring Bao’an.” Rather than being confined to traditional galleries, heritage displays and activities are reaching bookstores, commercial districts, local communities, schools, ancient villages, and cultural complexes.

At the launch, Professor Sun Hua from the School of Archaeology and Museology at Peking University delivered a keynote speech titled “From Sanxingdui to Jinsha: Centered on New Discoveries and Understandings of Sanxingdui,” exploring the profound civilizational links between the two iconic archaeological sites.

The reach of this year’s program has expanded across various subvenues. At the Bao’an 1990 cultural hub, lion dance-themed intangible heritage experiences feature a blend of traditional craftsmanship and digital manufacturing such as laser engraving and 3D printing. Other institutions are also contributing unique programs: the Shenzhen (Bao’an) Migrant Worker Museum is hosting family reading events; the Fuyong Acrobatics Museum offers performances and study tours; the Century Amber Museum provides amber carving workshops; and the Ocean Shell Museum presents specialized exhibitions on shell-carving art.

Heritage activities also venture deeper into historic villages and commercial areas. In Fenghuang Ancient Village, an original puppet play and flash mob performances based on local folklore allow audiences to experience immersive theater among historic architecture. In Fuyong, families can engage in interactive stone painting and blue-and-white porcelain hand-painting, weaving intangible cultural heritage into the fabric of daily community life.

The event is set to run until the end of June.