It was a record year for The Olympic Museum last year. Despite closing for a month in January for renovation work, we exceeded the 200,000-visitor mark – 202,186 to be exact. Since 2002 we had flirted with the 200,000 figure without exceeding it. The Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing (there is always a peak in visitor numbers in Summer Games years), the large Beijing 2008 exhibition (700m2 over three levels) and an exceptional educational and cultural programme (some 20 events spread from 2 February to 26 October) certainly played a part.
The Olympic Museum in the colours of China
If you are not in Beijing, go to the Games… at The Olympic Museum - such was the leitmotiv. The Museum had indeed banked everything on the Games. Banners in the city, a ribbon of time from the fountain to the Museum entrance as an invitation to visit the exhibition, the Temple of Heaven on the terrace, Chinese New Year celebrations and Festival of Spring in February, DJs and VJs coming specially from the Chinese capital in March, acrobats in April, an intense fortnight of activities in August during the Games, Museums Night and an introduction to Chinese opera in September, and Olympic Week with sports and new workshops on China in October, not forgetting Chinese cuisine at the restaurant and two Agoras devoted to these Games.
China opened up to the world, and the world discovered China
All these activities organised at The Olympic Museum during 2008 allowed the many visitors to discover modern China through the catalyst of the 2008 Summer Games, but also what remains of eternal China. A full educational kit was also made available for children. Since its inauguration, in June 1993, The Olympic Museum has welcomed just over 2,600,000 visitors.