Ethnic minorities and their respective cultures form indispensable parts of Chinese civilization. Museums of ethnology serve as a platform to preserve, exhibit, publicize, and promote ethnic minorities’ cultural heritage. They constitute an important tangible domain and cultural space for transmitting and inheriting culture.

Tangible objects preserve cultural memories. Relics in museums of ethnology are imprinted with cultures of certain minorities from various periods of history. They are cultural relics bearing distinct ethnic and regional traits, and material manifestations of cultural accumulation and cultural memories. Tangible collections can capture a moment in ancient times and present it to people nowadays, connecting history with reality.

Cultural inheritance of tangible collections doesn’t rely on individual transmission nor represent experiential edification through oral teaching. It instead displays the appearance, structure, style and color of cultural objects, and can cross families, regions, and time to provide visible information. Tangible objects therefore represent an irreplaceable vehicle for cultural inheritance.

There are three major ways to present ethnic minorities’ culture. The first is displaying cultural relics and pictures, which is the most traditional and direct method. The second is creating scenes to reproduce or restore certain settings and living conditions of ethnic minorities. The third is digital exhibitions that involve audio, graphic, and video materials. Due to limited space at museums, it is impossible to keep the setting and conditions unchanged. The choice of theme is therefore important.

Museum guides and their interpretation of exhibits are of special significance to the process of cultural inheritance. They share stories with visitors that relate to the exhibits and depict the relationship between past and present.

Museums of ethnology should stress expertise in transferring knowledge, enjoyment in interaction between visitors and exhibits, and sense of pride in emotions. The interpretation should make visitors understand and appreciate ethnic minorities’ cultures subconsciously.

Audience participation and their experience are highlights of such exhibitions. Interaction between exhibits and visitors can attract the latter’s attention, leaving them with strong impressions. These activities introduce visitors to Chinese ethnic minorities’ cultures and folk crafts and arts, while also encouraging their participation. For now, activities are mainly limited to presentations and shows by folk artists that visitors can merely watch. More activities should be created to inspire the audience to experience and participate based on research into people’s expectations and interests in exhibits.

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 628, August 1, 2014.

Translated by Du Mei

　　Revised by Tom Fearon