China dominates global museum attendance rankings

The TEA Global Experience Index has released its annual report on the world's most visited museums and cultural institutions, revealing a significant dominance by Chinese sites. China holds twelve positions within the top twenty, with the Palace Museum in Beijing ranking first with 19 million visitors. The Summer Palace in Beijing follows in second place with over 17 million visitors, and the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum in Xi'an ranks third with nearly 11 million visitors.

Europe maintains a presence in the top twenty with five representatives. The Louvre in Paris is the most visited institution outside of China, ranking fourth with approximately 9 million visitors, followed by the Palace of Versailles in fifth place with over 8 million visitors. Other notable European entries include the Vatican Museums in eighth place, the Natural History Museum in London in seventh, and the British Museum in thirteenth.

The report notes that total attendance for the top twenty institutions reached 161.4 million, a 5.4 percent increase from the previous year. Experts attribute China's high rankings to both domestic tourism and high accessibility, noting that 91 percent of the 7,188 registered museums in China offer free admission.