Zhang Shucheng, a nine-year-old third-grade student in Lanzhou City in northwest China's Gansu Province, has been impressing visitors to the provincial museum, and many more on social media, with his deep knowledge of the museum and his presentation skills as a guide.
On Saturday mornings, Zhang and his mother Jiang Nan usually come to the Gansu Provincial Museum, where Zhang has been serving as a volunteer guide for over a year along with a couple of his friends who share his interests.
With his fluent expression, advanced vocabulary, and his professional demeanor, his 25-minute introduction to the museum's paleontology exhibits has become a highlight for visitors.
"The continental nucleus, the earliest land, was formed 3.8 billion years ago. Life appeared 3.6 billion years ago. This was the late Archean Eon. In this era, some fungi and lower algae appeared," Zhang recently told a group of mainly adult museum visitors.
Zhang and his mother noticed in February last year that the museum was recruiting child guides. After passing through many rounds of selection tests, Zhang was offered the position at the museum.
"I feel that only by mastering this knowledge, remembering all this knowledge in my mind, can I explain it to everyone. Like me, I generally love to tell people things, no matter what it is, I love to speak to others. The more people, the better, the higher my recognition will be," he said.
"I record the data from the materials given by the museum. After recording the data, I can express the content in my own way. Then, after listening to the explanations from others, such as teachers in the museum, I will find my shortcomings and I will add more information. For example, our museum has a senior researcher who has been studying paleontology for nine years. After listening to his explanations, I have added a lot of information to my script," said Zhang.
Zhang excelled in elementary school, as he could read and answer questions clearly and fluently, and, to his classmates, the knowledge he learned through reading and volunteer guiding made him like a mini encyclopedia.
"This child was outgoing, and his expressions are fluent and neat. When he was in the second grade, I focused on cultivating his eloquence and then sent him to participate in speech contests outside our school," said Sun Xiaozhun, vice principal of Xiuchuan Primary School, where Zhang studies.
Zhang's mother says she began to cultivate his talent for speaking when he was two years old. She bought him picture books and read with him, focusing on honing his expressive ability after he entered elementary school.
"At the very beginning, I told him stories, and he would imitate me, especially when there is dialog. For example, characters with very reedy, very deep, gentle, or angry voices," said Jiang.
After entering elementary school, Jiang bought Zhang more storybooks about geography, history, literature, ancient poetry, and fairy tales, and continued to cultivate her child's talents.
"When he got entangled and wanted to give up, I felt the most tired. During this time, I try to adjust his mood, and sometimes I will even coax him. Sometimes I will reason with him, and then make gentle adjustments based on his mood at the time," said Jiang.
Nine-year-old museum guide wows visitors with knowledge, presentation skills
Known primarily for its coal production, the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province is undergoing a cultural transformation. As part of China's booming concert economy, Taiyuan is actively seeking to provide unforgettable experiences for music fans.
Local authorities are supporting businesses in capitalizing on the growing demand for immersive concert experiences.
Taiyuan has implemented innovative initiatives. The city offers free public transportation for concert attendees, including bus and subway rides, both during the concert period and for three days before and after the event .
Taiyuan's commitment to creating a vibrant concert atmosphere is evident throughout the city. Giant banners and posters promote upcoming events, while various support activities further enhance the experience.
At a recent concert, a CGTN correspondent witnessed the city's dedication to providing a memorable experience. Each fan was greeted with a personalized souvenir bag filled with local specialties. Additionally, a captivating drone performance delighted the audience, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event.
"We have both also been to several concerts before. But this is the first time we've enjoyed various perks. Some shops are offering free merchandise. There are shuttle buses. The concert ticket also provides free admission to other local attractions. I think it is really nice," a concertgoer said.
"I have attended several concerts in Taiyuan where I have had really great experiences," another concert fan said.
Taiyuan's thoughtful initiatives have not only delighted concertgoers but also stimulated the city's consumer activity.
"From April to September, Taiyuan hosted more than 10 concerts. We could feel the enthusiasm of the fans at each event. There was a noticeable increase in hotel bookings as well," said Ma Shuting, marketing manager of a local hotel.
The concert period has also boosted the street-stall economy. The area around the venue has been transformed into a vibrant marketplace, with hundreds of stalls offering a diverse range of goods and services, from snacks and concert merchandise to beauty treatments.
"Business is doing quite well because there are many people coming from both out of town and locally. The daily revenue is approximately between 2,000 and 3,000 yuan (about 282 to 423 U.S. dollars)," a vendor told CGTN.
To solidify its position as a leading performing arts center in Northern China, the local government has made a significant commitment to fostering the concert economy.
"All 11 government departments in Taiyuan have jointly introduced several measures to support the development of the concert economy. For concert organizers in Taiyuan that meet the criteria, subsidies ranging from 150,000 yuan to 800,000 yuan (about 21,200 to 113,000 U.S. dollars) will be provided. Additionally, the city government has also established a special task force to ensure the smooth running of large-scale concerts," said Liu Rui, deputy director of the Taiyuan Bureau of Culture and Tourism.
The concert economy holds immense potential for economic growth, as demonstrated by the impact of Taylor Swift and Coldplay concerts on Singapore's GDP, which was boosted by around 0.25 percent.
Taiyuan is positioning itself as a major player in the concert industry, with over 30 concerts scheduled for this year alone. These events are expected to attract nearly 800,000 fans and generate tens of billions of yuan in consumer spending.
The city's commitment to the concert economy reflects its proactive pursuit of new growth drivers. This not only boosts consumption in the culture and tourism sector but also contributes to the broader economic transition toward high-quality growth.
Taiyuan's thriving concert economy boosts cultural, tourism growth
