The central government will offer funding to museums and memorial halls to support their operating expenses amid a drive to encourage more of these venues to offer free admission, according to statement from a senior official.

The operating expenses of all national museums and memorial halls would be covered by the central budget, while institutions at the provincial level would be jointly supported by the central and local budgets, Vice Minister of Finance Zhang Shaochun said.

In a statement released on Thursday on the official website of the Ministry of Culture, Zhang urged local budget officials to provide for the operating expenses of museums and memorial halls.

'The free entry of museums and memorial halls must be guaranteed and should in no way be hampered by fund shortages,' he said.

China issued a circular on Jan. 23 this year saying that all museums, memorial halls and national patriotism education bases would offer free admission by 2009, excluding cultural relics and historical sites. China has more than 2,300 museums with more than 20 million exhibits. They received more than 150 million people last year.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-02/15/content_7609958.htm