China puts museums on notice after Terracotta Warriors blackout and summer disruptions

China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration is putting museums nationwide on notice to strengthen emergency management during the summer peak season, following a series of operational failures, including a sudden power outage in Xian’s Terracotta Warriors museum last week.

According to the notice published on Monday, there have been issues such as blackouts, air conditioning failures and severe overcrowding at some museums, triggering safety fears and public concern.

The disruptions revealed that a small number of cultural and museum institutions “lack sufficient risk assessment, emergency preparedness and smooth response mechanisms during the peak summer visiting season”, the top cultural heritage body said.

The authority also proposed a series of corrective measures to keep both visitors and cultural relics safe.

The notice comes after a sudden power failure in the Terracotta Warriors museum in Xian, Shaanxi province, on August 4.

Built on the mausoleum site of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, the museum houses the famed Terracotta Army that was created as a burial offering.

The blackout was revealed in social media posts by visitors. Accompanying videos showed museum-goers using their phone flashlights to continue viewing the exhibits inside the pitch-black halls.

Chinese media said staff did not tell visitors there was an issue while checking entry tickets and continued letting people in.