National Museum of China to reopen from May 1

The National Museum of China will reopen from May 1, the first day of a five-day public holiday, as the "COVID-19 pandemic situation has eased", a notice on its website said on Thursday.

Visitors need to make reservations online, and the daily number of was limited to 3,000, Xinhua news agency quoted the notice as saying.

Visitors are required to present their identification cards and personal health codes and have their temperatures taken before entering the museum.

During their visits, visitors need to wear masks and keep a distance of at least 1.5 meters from others, read the notice.

The museum has 17 exhibitions on display, including three permanent exhibitions, namely "Ancient China", "The Road of Rejuvenation" and "The Road of Rejuvenation: New Era".

Seven thematic exhibitions spotlight ancient Chinese art ranging from calligraphy, painted pottery to Buddhist sculpture.

Seven special exhibitions will focus on more aspects of Chinese culture, including Confucian culture, culture related to the literary masterpiece "The Dream of the Red Chamber" and archaeological discoveries that offer visitors a glimpse into the Zhou Dynasty, according to the museum website.

Although the pandemic originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan last December, there were 83,944 coronavirus cases in the country, with 4,637 deaths.

The US currently accounts for the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, as well as deaths.

As of Thursday morning, the country recorded 1,039,909 cases, with 60,966 deaths, according to the latest tally by the Johns Hopkins University.