BEIJING, May 18 -- Museums across China hosted 43,000 exhibitions and 511,000 educational events last year, receiving a total of 1.49 billion visitors, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

The figures were unveiled on Sunday at an event marking International Museum Day at the Grand Canal Museum of Beijing.

Throughout 2024, 213 museums were newly registered in China, bringing the total number of museums in the country to 7,046, the administration noted.

China is also expanding its free-entry policy, with over 91 percent of all museums offering free admission, it added.