The 22 government-run museums across the Macao Special Administrative Region observed the International Museum Day on Saturday by offering free admission and holding carnival events, showcasing the colorful coexistence of multiple cultures in the Special Administrative Region.
The theme of this year's International Museum Day, "Museums for Education and Research", highlights the key role of cultural institutions in providing a holistic educational experience. Around the International Museum Day, many museums in Macao have organized public events at the Mount Fortress Garden, operating themed games and workshops to attract both residents and visitors.
"I visit museums in every city I go to, so the museums here are also my first stop in Macao. After the visit, I am impressed that Macao really is a city where multi-culture and the mainstream Chinese culture coexist harmoniously, making it a unique attraction for tourists. It is a city that I would like to come back to," said Ms. Qian, a visitor.
Leong Wai Man, director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region government, said that the different sizes and themes of the museums in Macao provide the public with diverse cultural and educational experiences.
"Apart from the major museums under the management of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, there are many smaller exhibition halls, each with its own obvious theme. They all have very important functions of public education, which is closely related to the theme of this year's International Museum Day," Leong said.
Macao museums observe International Museum Day with free admission, carnivals
China’s first intelligent field plant phenotype precision identification platform went into operation recently in Sanya City, south China’s Hainan Province, which is a milestone in the country’s development of intelligent breeding.
The phenotype of a plant is a term used to describe observable characteristics of the plant, such as its appearance, and some inherent physiological characteristics, such as resistance to drought and diseases.
In an experimental field of the National Nanfan Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, a large piece of equipment is moving across the field. The equipment, called the field plant phenotype precision identification platform, can move according to the preset track and can be remotely controlled. While moving, the equipment can scan the plants with its six sensors, just like a CT machine for plants.
"The ultimate goal is to achieve high-throughput, large-scale, efficient and precise collection of germplasm resources, which can be four to five times higher than the efficiency of the traditional manual collection," said Jin Xiuliang, a researcher at the institute.
Although the equipment looks simple from the outside, it contains six high-precision image acquisition devices such as multi-spectral, thermal infrared, and chlorophyll fluorescence devices. Data can be collected at fixed times and points according to experimental needs, and the collection of a germplasm material can be completed within 30 seconds.
After the data collected through this platform is transmitted to the data analysis center, researchers can more quickly and accurately screen out germplasm resources with excellent traits, laying the foundation for subsequent crop breeding.
"The plant phenotype identification facility at the National Nanfan Research Institute is a milestone in the field of crop science in China. It can greatly enhance the independent innovation capabilities of germplasm innovation, gene mining, and variety breeding, and enhance the international competitiveness of China's seed industry," said Li Huihui, vice president of the institute.
China makes major progress in smart crop breeding
