From state-backed mega museums to privately-funded contemporary art spaces, the expansion of China’s galleries, libraries, archives and museums – or “GLAM” – sector is reshaping how the nation narrates its past and imagines its future.
China’s museum sector has expanded at an unmatched pace this century. From 2010 to 2024, a new museum has opened, on average, every 1.5 days. There were 382 new museums registered in 2022 alone – and a total of 6,833 registered towards the end of 2024.
None of this is a coincidence. China’s museum boom reflects a coordinated national strategy that links heritage, urban development, the creative industries and soft power.
