1 Museums and public engagement Four decades of changing concepts and strategies in China Tomislav S. Šola, 2018 Since its opening to the world, modern China has been passing a great transformation. It has changed the maps of the world economically and politically, but increasingly also, culturally. The benevolent observers see it as prosperity for its inhabitants and a new richness for the world. Faced with radical challenges the world seems to appreciate culture and heritage with new arguments as they bring mentality of peace. Besides being economic and geopolitical proposal, The Silk Road initiative is probably the greatest developmental use of heritage concept so far. This resulted with unprecedented growth of museums in the last four decades Heritage diplomacy 1 was a natural extension of taking the matters of culture and identity seriously at the top level of decision making, - a practice rather rare in world’s diplomacies and among governments. Has China, parallel to its participation in the 4 th industrial revolution, also entered its appearing cultural paradigm: the Age of heritage 2 ? The latter may demonstrate that an integrated sector of public memory is able to remind the mankind of the qualities lost, those to be beneficially inserted into otherwise perilous “velocity, scope, and systems impact” 3 of the current industrial revolution. It is time of great challenges and new quality solutions for the troubled Planet. By its importance and the irony of militarisation of the world, heritage should be considered as strategic domain, a matter of some ministry of identity defence. From early beginnings to the goal of 6000 museums serving public interest Before the inception of museums, like other cultures, China simply lived its heritage admitting gradual, sustainable changes. The 1840 war interrupted exceptionally long Chinese history imposing a century of humiliating experience. Major western empires (joined by 1 Dr. Tim Winter made a very inspiring lecture “Heritage Diplomacy and One Belt One Road” at Stockholm University Open Day, 26. Sept 2016. “Reframing Heritage as Movement”. 2 https://www.mnemosophy.com/the-vault 3 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/ (accessed in October, 2018); the article’s author is Klaus Schwab, the founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum