Aiming to boost cultural engagement among residents, art galleries, cultural centers, museums and public libraries in Guangyuan, Sichuan province have been implementing extended free opening hours throughout the first half of this year.

Locals read books and e-resources at Guangyuan Library. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

Guangyuan Library, covering 12,000 square meters, boasts a collection of over 300,000 books. The space encompasses electronic reading areas, children's sections and audio-visual document reading areas, accommodating over 600 daily users.

Guangyuan has also introduced the Smart Book Room project, offering a fully self-service borrowing experience and an open reading environment. This innovative space has welcomed more than 40,000 readers to date.

Wu Guangren, a 75-year-old local with a keen interest in ancient Chinese history was engrossed in the latest book he had borrowed, making good use of the ample time and access the library provides. He is a frequent visitor to Guangyuan.

"The library not only offers many free resources but also has extended hours, which has helped me develop a daily reading habit," Wu said.

Guangyuan Museum, with an exhibition hall spanning around 5,000 square meters, is divided into sections for history, calligraphy and painting, and intangible cultural heritage. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, it regularly provides free interpretation services.

Primary students have a study tour of Guangyuan Museum. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

On July 2, the museum hosted a study tour for students from Dongcheng Experimental Primary School. The vivid explanations provided by guides transformed historical texts into engaging stories.

"The museum maximizes its resources by deepening cooperation with schools, offering free venues, professional interpretation and other services for educational activities, fulfilling its social education responsibilities," said Li Mei, a museum official.

So far this year, the museum has signed cooperation agreements with eight schools and had received a total of 65,000 visitors as of last month.