National museum’s ‘living treasure’ is a ‘Brother’ to all
Print Edition
ON the east side of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the National Museum of China draws crowds with its rich cultural relics and artworks. But the world’s largest museum also boasts a “living treasure” — Zhang Peng, China’s most famous museum interpreter.
After 15 years as a volunteer interpreter, Zhang has a large following in the museum and on social media. People ask for his duty roster in order to catch his tours. His book on the Forbidden City has sold out in downtown bookstores. Running children keep quiet when he starts speaking. They address the 34-year-old as “Brother.”
Zhang started volunteering in 2003, when he was a law student at university. Born in Shaanxi Province, home of the terracotta army, he loved learning about culture and history.
Zhang recalls being mesmerized by treasures he had seen only in textbooks on his first visit to the National Museum. He learned his guide was a volunteer and he immediately delivered his resume. Two months later, he had a job.
Every weekend, he would rise early, and take a two-hour bus trip from his campus to the museum. He would interpret for four or five hours before heading home after dark.
“I like being close to these precious relics. It’s fantastic,” he says, “and it is free.”
He also offered his services to the Forbidden City and the China Millennium Monument, and continued volunteering after starting a paid job.
In 2009, Zhang won a national museum interpreter competition, which brought him national acclaim and accolades such as “Beijing May Fourth Medal,” the highest honor for young Beijingers.
Museum interpreters are generally stereotyped as guides who recite their scripts monotonously, and have little personal interaction with their audience. However, Zhang inspires people and involves his audience by enriching official scripts with interesting stories and academic arguments to engage his listeners.
Since 2008, many Chinese museums have opened for free. Museum, exhibition and visitor numbers have grown rapidly. By 2016, China had 4,873 museums and more than 30,000 exhibitions were held annually, drawing 900 million visitors.
In 2014, Zhang resigned his post and started a business educating teenagers about museums. He offers online and offline courses on exhibitions, sells books and organizes study trips abroad.
“I want to help young people develop an interest in museums, which are wonderful places to visit again and again,” says Zhang.
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