STORY: Faces of China: A volunteer tour guide's enthusiasm for museums
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Oct. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:19
LOCATION: XI'AN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Small Wild Goose Pagoda
2. various of Luo Wei
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LUO WEI, Volunteer museum tour guide
4. various of Luo Wei
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LUO WEI, Volunteer museum tour guide
6. various of Luo Wei
7. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LUO WEI, Volunteer museum tour guide

STORYLINE:

Xi'an, a city boasting a history of over 3,000 years, has museums that are bustling with tourists all year round. This is especially true in recent years, when a craze for cultural museums has emerged as a tourism trend.

As a volunteer tour guide, Luo Wei has immersed himself in knowledge about the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, a landmark cultural relic in the Xi'an Museum.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LUO WEI, Volunteer museum tour guide
"The names of the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda were given during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Small Wild Goose Pagoda is also called Jianfu Temple Pagoda."

Luo, 38, majored in electronic information engineering at college and now works in a state-owned enterprise.

Although his educational background is unrelated to cultural tourism, Luo has been obsessed with Chinese history since a young age and chose to join the team of volunteer tour guides in 2011.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LUO WEI, Volunteer museum tour guide
"This year has been the 13th year since I started to serve as a volunteer tour guide at museums in 2011. I have given about 350 to 400 tours, and each of them lasts at least around 2 hours."

To become a better tour guide, Luo makes the most of every moment and gains historical knowledge during his spare time.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): LUO WEI, Volunteer museum tour guide
"During my daily commutes, I learn through listening on apps for about 3.5 to 4 hours. I have listened for almost 5,000 hours. I would rather stick to my own lecture structure based on the cultural relics than just simply recite the tour guide text. If there are more children in the tour group, I have to present in a way that can be easily understood. Based on the tourists' needs, I will try my best to provide customized services accordingly.
For this kind of museum guide work, the most important thing is passion -- being fully immersed in it. Then, you can lead more people to experience Xi'an, its history, and its cultural heritage. That's what drives me from the start.
We've benefited from the rise in interest in museums and cultural heritage. I am glad and willing to share to attract more people to come into museums and help more young people and children learn how to appreciate the museums. Then, the passion and attention for museums can be promoted further."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Xi'an, China.
(XHTV)