China's Museums Reopen with Digital Health Codes and Online Platforms

After three months of closure due to the pandemic, Chinese cultural institutions are cautiously reopening with strict digital measures. The government launched the Online Museum Exhibition Platform on January 28, 2020, a centralized cloud aggregating exhibitions and collections from museums nationwide, accessible via an interactive map. In Beijing, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art hosted the Sonic Cure online concert on February 29, 2020, featuring artists like Feng Mengbo, Pang Kuan of New Pants, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, streamed on Kuaishou, a video-sharing platform popular in lower-tier cities. The concert garnered over 4 million views and became a case study at Hupan University, founded by Jack Ma. UCCA also runs weekly Patrons Classroom via Zoom. Over 180 museums and galleries have reopened, requiring online reservation, digital ticketing, and a health QR code from Alipay or WeChat, which classifies users as green (free), yellow (quarantine), or red (confirmed COVID-19). Group visits and guided tours are banned, with daily visitor caps enforced.