Guangzhou's museums held a series of interactive public activities recently to celebrate the upcoming International Museum Day which falls on May 18.

The activities, organized by the Guangzhou municipal bureau of culture, radio, TV, film, press and publication, Guangzhou Society of Museums, and Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, highlight cultural innovation on the Maritime Silk Road.

A girl makes eaves tiles at an activity held by the Guangzhou Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology to celebrate International Museum Day, in Guangzhou on May 13. [Photo/ycwb.com]

There are 61 museums and memorial halls in Guangzhou, covering arts, history, sports, chemistry, and biology. This year, many museums have upgrading their exhibitions and displays adding more modern elements.

Some eye-catching products, such as umbrellas patterned with ponies and butterflies, have proved particularly popular. The Memorial Museum of Generalissimo Sun Yat-sen's Massion has even developed a game on a mobile app, to give people a different and unique way to learn more about history.

Guangzhou residents take part in activities held at the Canton Opera Arts Museum on May 13. [Photo by Chen Zhigang/oeee.com]

Guangzhou was selected to spearhead the promotion and protection of the Maritime Silk Road by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage on April 20.

A Maritime Silk Road-themed special exhibition is scheduled to open at the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King on June 10, to give an overview of Guangzhou's 2,000-year history along the route.

Initiated by International Council of Museums (ICOM), the International Museum Day is celebrated on and around May 18 each year, which this year's theme is "Museums and contested histories: saying the unspeakable in museums".