By Jiang Jiaojiao

‘Taking a pleasure-boat, getting off at stations to visit museums, and experiencing the culture and history of Nantong in an immersive way, are new and unique.’ 18 May is International Museum Day. Da Xiaofeng and his friends came from Shanghai, experienced a fantastic museum tour on water. Since it was launched officially on 16 May, the museum tour on water route has received more than one hundred domestic and foreign tourists. It has become a popular tourism route to get to know culture and history of Nantong.

Nantong has more than 30 museums. Most of the museums of Nantong are located along Hao River. Around Hao River museum group includes the first public museum in China —— Nantong Museum, the largest abacus computation theme museum —— China Abacus Museum, and the first national audit museum in China.

‘It is the first museum tour route on water in China. Its opening is significant.’ Peng Chunmei, vice director of Nantong Museum said that the museum tour on water connected the museum groups on two sides of the river, and let more people get to know Nantong by excellent museum exhibition and popular science education.

While museum tour on water is in trial operation, 26 foreign friends ‘had the first bite’ together. Mr. Mugurel from Romania chatted with his family in another country by video link on a pleasure boat, ‘I like Chinese culture very much. Taking the boat, I not only enjoyed the ecology and beautiful scene of Hao River, but also experienced the charm of traditional Chinese culture in museums. It is a great experience!’