Latest news with #museum
South China Morning Post
15 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
5 inspiring museums to visit in Guangdong for history, jewellery and more
Sweltering outside? Skip the sun and chill out in a world of cool air and culture. From ancient Chinese medicine to immersive fragrance experiences, these fascinating museums in Guangdong offer the perfect summer escape. 1. Guangdong Chinese Medicine Museum, Guangzhou Guangdong Chinese Medicine Museum in China. Nestled within the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in the Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, this museum provides a deep dive into the rich legacy of Lingnan traditional Chinese medicine . Its most striking feature is a soaring 'crystal palace' of over 600 herb specimens suspended in liquid, spanning three floors. Visitors can explore themed halls dedicated to ancient medical tools, acupuncture, herbal therapies, wellness regimens and more, each weaving together stories of healing traditions from Neolithic stone needles to Qing dynasty bronze models. 232 Waihuan East Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Panyu District, Guangzhou. Free admission, reservation required via the museum's official WeChat account 2. Xuelei Fragrance Museum, Guangzhou Xuelei Fragrance Museum in Guangzhou, China. Photo: Handout This is the world's largest fragrance museum, an immersive 75,000 sq ft space blending scent, technology and art. From ancient Egyptian incense rituals to Song dynasty court aromas and the rise of modern perfumery, this museum takes your nose on a time-travelling adventure. Visitors can sample over 300 unique scents, interact with digital scent installations and marvel at a treasure trove of aromatic artefacts. 1 Ketai 2nd Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou. Tickets cost US$14, book via Meituan or Dianping 3. Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum The Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum in Guangzhou, China, looks at the legacy of the area's hongs, or merchant houses. Photo: Handout In the 18th and 19th centuries, during the Qing dynasty , Guangzhou was the sole Chinese port engaged in foreign maritime trade. The Guangzhou Thirteen Hongs Museum, located on the original site of the bustling trading zone, brings this golden era to life. With more than 5,000 artefacts and rare documents, including Cantonese porcelain, reverse-glass paintings, ivory carvings and other export treasures, the museum vividly showcases the prosperity and global connections of the area.
Gizmodo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
A Life-Size Naboo Starfighter Will Be Among the Highlights of George Lucas' New Museum
To close out San Diego Comic-Con with a bang, George Lucas made his first appearance at the long-running pop culture fest alongside filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and award-winning Lucasfilm designer Doug Chiang. But the panel topic wasn't a new Star Wars project; it was the importance of keeping art accessible to the public, especially during unprecedented times, at the Lucas Museum opening next year in Los Angeles. Fanboys, fret not, though—during a quick sizzle reel of featured works, eagle-eyed attendees were able to catch glimpses of renderings depicting a life-size Naboo Starfighter as part of the curated works. Additionally, there was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it look at General Grievous on his wheel bike as well as concept art for Indiana Jones. The Lucas Museum confirmed to io9 that these works are included in the museum's collections, with more announcements to come about its inaugural installations. io9 previously reported that the collection would also include Luke's full-size landspeeder from A New Hope, the original plans and model for the Millennium Falcon, a Darth Vader costume, and a full-sized Yoda model. Mostly, though, the panel centered a conversation about storytelling and the importance of accessibility. 'This museum is dedicated to the idea that stories, mythology—any kind of story that is written to affect people and to build community—is extremely important to society and creating societies and creating community,' Lucas explained. 'Art illustrates that story, and that's the right hand of building a community: you need the art to make it seem real. Even back in the Renaissance or the Stone Age, you'll always have a story that people believe is mythology: it's not really true. But people believe it and it binds them together with a common belief system. That common belief system is what is really important. And what we're doing here with the museum is to try to make people aware of the mythology that we live by. And at the same time, let them have an emotional experience looking at art that does tell the modern mythology.' He continued. 'The art part of it is a way of making it really accessible to people and [making] it so they believe it.' 'It's part of what we need to keep society together. Even if it's tough, a lot of the art centers around those ideas of what we believe in and how important [it] is to us to have a community and to be able to build off of a common belief, and it's especially true today because of the fact that the world is becoming a smaller place. There are a lot of different common beliefs out there. It used to be easy because they were far away and it was hard to get to them, to interact with that. But now, we're experiencing, in a lot of ways, the fact that there [are] a lot of different beliefs and there's a lot that aren't common. And the society cannot exist without a common belief system.' Guillermo del Toro, who serves as a member of the board, discussed the hope that the tenets of the museum will contribute to the fight for knowledge in a time where there's rampant erasure of history. 'Stories shape the world. Stories that tell you the wrong thing about who you are or what you should be to other people because one of the narrative branches that is brutally applied is propaganda. And I think that the illustration art is not only celebrating the craft of incredible people that have designed movies and art,' he said. Del Toro went on to mention some of those great artists—including Ralph McQuarrie, Ron Cobb, and Jim Steranko—and drove the point home about the Lucas Museum's guiding vision. 'It's also celebrating an emotional thing that belongs to all of us. Myth belongs to all of us, propaganda is controlled by a very small group. Myth unites us; propaganda divides us.' Del Toro continued. 'Popular mythology in forms of comic books of any kind—I don't care if you like underground comics or edgy comics that have nothing to do with genre or you like a genre piece, it's that we all can access those emotions. That's why they don't belong to the man, they don't belong to the power, they don't belong to our parents, they belong to us.' He described the 300,000-square-foot Lucas Museum as an ark; its design by Ma Yansong features no hard edges as a way to reflect the flow of knowledge. 'I think this is celebrating things that speak to all of us collectively but individually. So the size of the museum again declares this in existence in a way that is a singularity in the world right now,' del Toro said. 'And [it's] something that can celebrate that form of art.' Academy Award-winning designer and longtime Lucasfilm collaborator Doug Chiang credited the popular arts, which San Diego Comic-Con celebrates annually, for inspiring his career path alongside access to public communal spaces that didn't gatekeep it. 'Comic art and magazine illustration were kind of looked down upon…but it was a way for me to enjoy art, and it invited me to learn more about art,' he shared, and as an LA native whose career is due in part to a love for museums, libraries, Free Comic Book Day, and PBS, I have to agree. It's a way for everyone, not just a select few, to look for purpose. There's a reason why the museum is located by Lucas' alma mater, USC. Incidentally, USC hosts the LA Times Festival of Books, where I picked up my first chapter read, Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. Chiang added, 'It's [George's] gift to sort of help celebrate this, and what I really enjoy about it honestly is that you know narrative art is a way to educate kids and to sort of like validate and say, 'It's ok to draw your fantasy, draw things from your mind, embrace comic books.' It shouldn't be looked down upon, and what's fantastic is that I think the museum—my hope is that it will inspire the next Norman Rockwell or Frank Frazetta.' Or, you know, the next Doug, Guillermo, or George. The Lucas Museum is set to open its doors in 2026; for more information, visit here. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former fireman helped to save beloved museum as mill fire broke out
AN ex-fireman used a vintage fire engine to tackle a blaze that spread from Keighley's Dalton Mills to a beloved museum. Firefighters battled from day to night amid efforts to contain the fire which broke out at the derelict mill. But embers from the mill fire had blown onto the roof and set nearby Keighley Bus Museum alight. Volunteers were left fearful for the museum, just off Dalton Lane, which holds a huge collection of buses dating back to 1924, as well as cars, vans, and boats. Fire at Dalton Mills (Image: Melody Pugh, Milo74, Paul Whitehead and Newsquest) Museum volunteer Mick Gissing, 56, stood on a forklift truck and used pumps from the engine owned by Haworth Fire Cadets, which is stored at the museum. Mick's quick actions and the diversion of some of the 999 crews from the mill to the museum meant there was little damage to the vehicles inside. The team at the museum had to wait behind a cordon before being allowed into the building on Sunday morning to survey the damage. The roof then had to be dampened down as it started to smoulder again. While damage to the collection was kept to a minimum, the museum now needs a new roof due to extensive damage. Peter Cribbin, Simon Waye and Andrew Haley, pictured (Image: Submitted) Former firefighter Mick, who is from Long Lee, said: 'I'd like to thank all the volunteers at the museum. They all worked extremely hard to keep the flames at bay by getting the hose reel out and helping me get water to the roof. "My former colleagues ultimately saved the bus museum through their quick response and actions.' People can donate to the fundraising page by visiting Offers of practical help can also be made by emailing board@ Andrew Haley, director of security and building at Keighley Bus Museum Trust, said: 'We are so grateful to Mick and the fire service for saving our building and collection. It has been a stressful and emotional day or so but the whole team has rallied around, and we've had the support of our local councillors. Mick with the Haworth Cadets' fire engine (Image: Submitted) 'We need to protect our vehicles, which are part of our local and social history. 'If anyone is able to help in our hour of need by giving a small amount, it'll all add up and hopefully help us to refurbish the roof to make sure our wonderful collection is protected from the elements. 'Smouldering plastic and bits of roof fell inside the building and everything is looking a bit charred and sooty, so we need a good clean-up too. 'All in all, we were very lucky that only a boat and a bus seat were slightly damaged by falling embers and there was no further damage. It's a miracle." A file photo shows some of the buses kept within the museum Have events at Keighley Bus Museum been cancelled? Andrew added: 'We have a lovely collection of vehicles here, owned by all sorts of people, and we get thousands of people through the doors for our free family open days. 'We've had to cancel the next one in August but we're hoping we can clear up in time to hold the one after that in November. Any support people can give us would be greatly appreciated.'
CBC
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
New book by Heather O'Neill and daughter Arizona a love letter to Montreal's Metro
Mother-and-daughter team Heather and Arizona O'Neill speak with CBC Montreal's Sudha Krishnan about working together on 'Valentine in Montreal', and their love for the 'biggest museum in the world'.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘This is totally unique': Why the RAM is rejuvenating a taxidermied elephant from the 60s
The Royal Alberta Museum is giving new life to a taxidermied elephant and using it as an opportunity to show guests what goes on behind the scenes. The Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) is giving new life to a taxidermied elephant that lived in the Calgary Zoo in the 60s. The museum says Gyro the elephant has been hidden from the public for most of his life. 'We're just happy to have it out front of house and having fantastic conservation staff working on it,' said Nick Cairns, curator with the RAM. Gyro is a juvenile Asian elephant who came from Toronto in the 1960s. He lived in the Calgary Zoo until his death in 1967, after his female mate, Gyrette II, knocked him into a dry moat. He was 6-years-old and wasn't fully grown. The museum acquired him in 1979 through the Riveredge Foundation and has never been displayed to the public before. Now, visitors will be able to see history conservator Gigi Kulis give him a fresh look close to the entrance. Gyro the elephant Natural history conservator Gigi Kulis working on Gyro the elephant at The Royal Alberta Museum (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton) 'I love working on taxidermy and I fortunately get to do that with the work I do but this is totally unique and novel, it's pretty amazing,' Kulis told CTV News Edmonton. Cairns says having Kulis working on Gyro in the public eye is also a way to show guests what goes on behind-the-scenes at the museum. 'They're working really, really hard at making things look amazing when they might have been stuck in a basement or stuck in an attic for half a century,' Cairns said. While elephants aren't native to Alberta, the museum says Gyro's time spent at the Calgary Zoo makes him a part of provincial history. Gyro the elephant Gyro the elephant celebrating one year living at the Calgary Zoo with a cake. (Glenbow Archives) 'He is, as far as we know, the only taxidermied elephant in western Canada and in our collection,' said Carme Li, head of curation at the RAM. It's one of the biggest reasons the museum is giving him a makeover. Part of the conservation process includes fixing the cracks on his body and getting rid of over paint to unveil more natural characteristics. The museum says Gyro will be on display for the next couple of months.
