Art at your fingertips in museums (2)

（China Daily）  13:35, June 11, 2013  

Digital technologies have been helpful in improving the museum's service and enhancing audience experience. Weixin, a popular instant-messaging app marketed internationally as WeChat, is another successful example.

Since the National Museum of China opened a Weixin account six months ago, more than 100,000 have subscribed to its services.

Besides related information, such as the latest exhibitions, the platform includes free audio services for exhibitions.

It only takes the user to type the exhibit's number or name to get information. According to museum statistics, the service on Weixin has been used about 163,000 times for the Nature in Western Art exhibition and has been instrumental in bringing about a surge in visitor numbers.

"The public can still appreciate the exhibits after exhibitions have closed," Huang says.

The museum plans to boost the service on its Weixin platform. Meanwhile, more functions, such as bookings, are being developed on the platform, he adds.

According to Huang, applying new technological tools has greatly improved the efficiency of the museum's operation and lowered its costs.