In order to showcase and publicize the impressive achievements of Chinese museums in recent years, to promote exchanges of museum-related products and technologies, and to enhance high-level academic seminars in the field, with the approval by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, the 1st Exposition of Museums and Museum Products and Technologies (hereinafter ‘the Museum Expo’ ) was held in the National Agricultural Exhibition Center, in 2004, co-organized by CAM, the Chinese Museums Association, the Chinese Association of National Science Museums, and the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage.

       The Museum Expo is now a well-established unique brand, a real combination of presentation, communication and cooperation, and a grand biennial occasion for the Chinese museum circles. The 2nd and 3rd Museum Expos were held successfully in 2006 and 2008, exerting an extensive influence in the field, within the country and beyond.

       The purpose of the Museum Expo is to provide a platform of communication for the building of museum theories, and exchange of information on museums and museum products and technologies, and also to encourage the developments of the museum sector.

       The major contents of the Expo include: presentations and discussions on images of Chinese premium museums and special themed museums at home and abroad, presentations of museum products and technologies, forums of curators of international museums, exchanges and promotions of museum technologies and products, and treasures appraisals by experts. Various display formats have been adopted, such as museum exhibits or replicas, museum products, technologies and facilities, in combination with necessary written descriptions, charts, pictures, models, videos and live demos. The Expo integrates presentation, information exchange, project consultation, technological transformation, and product distribution.

       With the rise of China’s economic strength, the government and the public have given more and more attention to museums. The biennial Museum Exposition, as an important cultural gathering on an international scale, shall provide great opportunities for the development of museums and relevant sectors in China.

Museum Expo 2008

       Approved by the National Administration of Cultural Heritage, and co-sponsored with the China Association of Museums, the China Association of National Science Museums, the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, and CAM, the Museum and Relevant Products and Technologies Exposition 2008 was held in the China Agricultural Museum from November 29, 2008 to December 1.

       Deputy Director General of National Cultural Heritage Zhang Bai, Board Chairman of the China Association of Museums and Director of the Organizing Committee of the 3rd Museum Expo Zhang Wenbin, Chief Economic Manager of the Ministry of Agriculture Zhang Yuxiang, Deputy Director-General from the Department of Marketing and Economic Information of the Ministry of Agriculture Zhang Xingwang, Vice Director General of Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage Yu Ping, Vice Board Chairman of China Association of National Science Museums Zhu Jin, Party Secretary of the China Agricultural Museum Wang Hongyi, curator Tang Ke, Vice Curator Zhang Lijun, and Liu Yuguo attended the opening ceremony.

       The whole exhibition covers an area of 13,000 square meters. Relevant products and technologies were presented in the exposition. Apart from those companies that took part in the previous two expos, many other enterprises joined this expo to present their new achievements, new products, and new technologies. The exhibits are mainly about architectural planning, display design and decoration projects, security, lighting, temperature and humidity control, preservation and transportation of collections, restoration and copy of cultural relics, software design, multimedia technologies, museum education and consultancy, digital editing and book publishing, souvenirs, gifts, and artworks.