BEIJING, Dec. 9 -- The museum treasures of universities in Shanghai, exclusive and limited, are now being opened to the public at no cost.

    The first group of 10 university museums will be opened starting next year, featuring ancient costumes, coins, opera art, musical instruments, fisheries and other areas of interest.

    The Shanghai Education Commission announced the city would subsidize 80,000 yuan (US$9,889) to each of the museums every year to improve their exhibition facilities, management and increase exhibits.

    Their affiliated universities will grant appropriate funding."It is a pity that we didn't make full use of the existing university museum resources," said commission official Wen Tiehui.

    "It's time to exploit universities' academic advantage and turn museums into educational bases for the public."Currently, most of university museums are opened only for classroom teaching or professional study. Visitors, mostly students and scholars, usually need a reservation.

    "Lacking special funds, university museums are usually on a small scale with poor management," said Yu Huimin, dean of East China Normal University's history department, adding that governmental subsidy will help.

    University officials said that most of the museums were expanding their exhibition areas, adding new exhibits, and building new exhibit halls to prepare for the public opening.

    Built in 2003, the C.Y. Tung maritime museum of Jiao Tong University was set up in memory of C.Y. Tung, the Chinese shipping tycoon who was known as one of the "seven sea barons in the world" and father of Tung Chee-hwa, the former chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

    The two-story Shikumen-style building houses more than 600 ship models, pictures and navigation maps, including the map used by Zheng He, the ancient Chinese mariner who sailed to seven countries. A wooden model of a sand boat - designed to sail in Shanghai's shallow, sandy waters - is another highlight.

    At Donghua University's costume museum, more than 600 ancient Chinese garments and textile products are displayed at the garment and fashion design college.

    East China Normal University's ancient coin museum showcases nearly 1,300 ancient coins from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC) to the contemporary period.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily)