Guangdong Museum at night. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guangdong Museum, located in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, will extend its exhibition hours from 5 pm to 8:30 pm on Fridays starting Aug 9, in an effort to "enrich people's cultural life at night".

The museum has drawn from the experience of other museums like the British Museum and V&A in the UK, which run longer hours on Fridays. Admission to the museum is free.

The exhibition venues, security, personnel and volunteer arrangement have been optimized for the new move, with interaction activities also available in the extended hours, according to Guangdong Museum.

The commerce bureau of Guangzhou recently issued the first edition of the night-time experience map of the city, locating areas where nightlife is most vibrant with dining, shopping, tourism venues, movie-going and museum visits.

The step has been taken to tap into the potential from domestic demand, and to satisfy the needs of local residents and visitors, according to the bureau.