International Museum Day falls on May 18. Shandong province boasts rich cultural heritage and abundant historical artifacts and has more than 700 museums that record the history of the province. Whether you're interested in fine arts, history, or culture, there's plenty to explore!

Confucius Museum

Exhibits at the Confucius Museum [Photo by Wang Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Confucius Museum in Qufu, the hometown of Confucius, has rolled out historical dance and cultural-ritual performances to spice up the visitor experience.

The museum covers an area of 57,000 square meters and brings together nearly 700,000 cultural relics, which were once kept privately in the Confucius Family Mansion. It showcases Confucian teachings and relics collected by generations of Confucian disciples, serving as a place to learn about traditional culture.

Chinese Ejiao Museum

The Chinese Ejiao Museum [Photo by Wang Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Located in Dong'e county of Liaocheng, the Chinese Ejiao Museum is the country's first museum dedicated to the development of ejiao, a gelatin used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve blood circulation and boost energy levels.

The museum consists of two parts, ancient and modern, showcasing the development and evolution of ejiao. It also covers the entrepreneurial process and achievements of Dong'e Ejiao Co, China's largest donkey-hide gelatin producer.

Linqing Museum

People visit the Linqing Museum. [Photo by Wang Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Founded in 1958, Linqing Museum in Linqing, an important node city along the Grand Canal, stores more than 1,000 precious cultural relics, mainly covering porcelain, calligraphy and paintings, as well as coins and bronze ware.

The museum's biggest attraction is its reproductions of the commercial shops of the city during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), making visitors feel as if they are "traveling" to the streets of Linqing in ancient times.