The Capital Museum in Beijing has started soliciting donations worldwide for cultural relics exhibits to promote traditional Chinese culture.

The exhibits may include relics from the Grand Canal, a vast waterway connecting the northern and southern parts of China with a history of about 2,500 years, as well as relics related to the capital and its urban development, says Feng Hao, head of the collection department of the Capital Museum.

Feng adds that a wide range of exhibits including, but not limited to, cultural relics, physical evidence, specimens, publications and replicas, are being sought. It will also include photographs, videos, recordings, 3D scans and other audiovisual files.

"To encourage free donations, the Capital Museum has further improved the return of donor rights and interests. Donors (including individuals and institutions) will have certificates of recognition, permanent records and many other honors and rights," Feng says.

Qi Miyun, the deputy curator of the Capital Museum, says the museum is building its branch in Beijing's subcenter Tongzhou district. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022, and exhibitions will open to the public in 2023.