China is pushing forward a draft development plan to construct some 245 new museums in its capital by the year 2035, according to reports coming out of Beijing last weekend.

The plan from the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau calls for there to be a total of 460 museums by the end of the building frenzy, enough, it says, for two per every 100,000 inhabitants in the city of 21.5 million.

The push comes in anticipation of Beijng’s expected tourism influx. Recent research from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) suggested that it could soon overtake Paris as the world’s most frequented tourist destination, with a projected annual value eventually topping out at $77 billion. Museums, therefore, make up the core component of this effort, with a special focus on those promoting Chinese culture and history in line with the Communist party’s nationalist agenda. 

Planners have designated two tracts – one along its central axis and another running down Chang'an Avenue – for development and will be defined by Core Museum District (CMD) sub-districts that further support the operation and maintenance of cultural activities therein. 

Construction is set to begin this year, bringing with it the completion of a new Capital Museum branch in the Tongzhou district and the Three Hills and Five Gardens heritage site. Older museums will also be refurbished and modernized along sustainability lines.