博物馆/bó wù guǎn

In contemporary Chinese dictionaries, the term 博物馆/bó wù guǎn refers to a place devoted to the permanent preservation and study of animals, plants, minerals, or any other natural or man-made object, as well as the place where these items are exhibited to the public. Depending on the nature of the exhibits and collections, there are different types of museum: artistic, historical, scientific, etc. (教育部國語推行委員會 2021). The word 博物/bó wù is taken from the biography of King Chu Yuan in the Book of Han, where the phrase博物洽闻，通达古今 (vast erudition covering all things, embracing both the past and the present) appears. Originally, the term was used to describe a person with extensive knowledge in a wide range of fields and capable of drawing links between the ancient and the modern (班固, 36-111). In modern Chinese language dictionaries, 博物 is defined as universal knowledge, or vast erudition. The character 馆/guǎn, meanwhile, has several meanings, one of which refers to a public place dedicated to cultural activities (教育部國語推行委員會 2021). Thus, a博物馆 is not only an institution devoted to the conservation and display of cultural items or natural specimens, but also plays an essential role as a public space dedicated to disseminating knowledge and promoting cultural exchange.