Museums across China witnessed a record 1.49 billion visits in 2024, reflecting a growing public interest in cultural heritage and history, according to data released on Sunday, which marks International Museum Day.

The data was released by the National Cultural Heritage Administration at the main event of International Museum Day, held at the Grand Canal Museum in Beijing.

As of the end of 2024, China had 7,046 museums, an increase of 213 from the previous year. On average, there is now one museum for every 200,000 people nationwide. Over 90 percent of the museums offer free admission for the public.

Over the past year, museums across the country hosted more than 43,000 exhibitions and 511,000 educational activities.