Staff members from the Palace Museum arrange the Song Dynasty masterpiece for the exhibition. [Photo by Zhang Wei/China Daily]

VISITORS HAD WAITED UP TO THREE HOURS for a chance to view the Song Dynasty (960-1279) landscape painting titled A Vast Land, which went on display at the Palace Museum on Friday. People's Daily commented on Monday:

The pictures of men and women literally racing to be among the first to view the landscape masterpiece indicates, to some extent, people's growing awareness and appreciation of culture. The 12th century painting Along the River during Qingming Festival also attracted a great many exhibition-goers when it was displayed at the Palace Museum two years ago.

Statistics suggest that an increasing number of Chinese attend art exhibitions, be they exhibitions showcasing folk art or foreign artworks. China is now home to more than 4,000 museums which were visited by some 850 million people last year, a year-on-year increase of nearly 9 percent. This has triggered innovations such as the animated figures representing emperors of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

But to better serve the growing number of visitors, museums need to improve their management. Orderly viewing of exhibitions is not too much to ask if the entry-by-appointment policy is followed through. And a more tailored, considerate service could help viewers better understand exhibitions as a whole, rather than just one or two "star" exhibits.

For example, art lovers and scholars are likely to have very different expectations of an exhibition than other visitors; hence they should be guided in different groups. Encouraging youngsters who have little interest in an exhibition to draw facsimiles of the exhibits could be educational and provide some breathing space for their parents. Flexible opening and closing hours could be worth a try as well, as many would love to spend some of their evening hours after work visiting museums.