The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic has prompted many of Chinea’s cultural venues, including museums, theaters and concert halls, to move their exhibitions and performances online.

Performers from the Shanghai Ballet prepare for their online open class. (Photo via Shanghai Ballet)

On Feb. 23, the top 10 museums in China broadcast their exhibitions on the live streaming platform of Taobao, the country’s leading e-commerce platform.

The Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou City, capital of northwest China's Gansu province, was one of them. "We introduced two live broadcasts on that day, attracting more than 900,000 viewers online," said Shi Ce, curator of the museum.

Shi added that live streaming provides a new way to visit the museum and establish a digital platform of cultural relics.

The Shanghai Ballet went a step further, launching open classes online. Xin Lili, director of the organization, recently offered an online course on basic ballet moves, attracting 898,000 viewers.

Similarly, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe live streamed a traditional Chinese opera performance on March 8, giving audiences a cultural feast from the comfort of their own homes, which it hopes will help spread fine traditional Chinese culture.

Some Internet platforms have also held concerts online. Ma Jia, a tenor with the China Broadcasting Performing Arts Troupe, gave an online concert organized by Chinese social media giant Sina Weibo. In less than 2 hours, the live stream attracted some 3 million viewers.

Sun Jiashan, associate research fellow of the Chinese National Academy of Arts, said that wearable devices will improve viewers’ experience of online concerts in the future.