News

The Museum Thyssen launches its new Chinese website

The Museum Thyssen launches its new Chinese website

The Museo Thyssen has launched its digital presence in China with a website adapted to the preferences of Chinese users and an official profile on WeChat.

Following two years of preparatory focus on this market, which is the one with the most growth potential within the outbound tourist sector, and an initial analogue response, including leaflets in Mandarin, signage, native-speaking guides and an adapted restaurant menu, the Thyssen has now become the first Spanish public museum to have a responsive website hosted in China (http://www.museothyssenmadrid.cn/) and an official profile on WeChat (ID:museothyssenmad).

This initiative aims to promote the Museo Thyssen’s name and image in the digital context and on social networks in China in order to reach the growing sector of tourists who prefer to travel independently and who use the internet to obtain information, make bookings and pay.

The new website is oriented towards tourism, with a content that is designed for a Chinese public but which retains the essence of the Collection. The home page explains how the Collection was assembled through the dedication of the Thyssen-Bornemisza family, how the last Baron brought the collection to Madrid with the support of his wife and how it was acquired by the Spanish State, thus becoming a cultural legacy for future generations of Spaniards. A timeline provides the key dates in this story.

The site then singles out the most important artists in the Thyssen Collection with a selection of masterpieces and a grouping of paintings by artistic styles. It also highlights the temporary exhibitions that will be of most interest to Chinese visitors.

The next page explains how the Museum has adapted to Chinese culture, including the explanatory material now available in Mandarin, and a first-person account by Yu Wang, one of the  Museum’s native-speaking guides. There are also descriptions of some of the thematic routes around the Collection, including those on gastronomy, fashion and wine. This section is completed with comments by various well-known Chinese personalities on their visits to the Museum.

The site then sets out the Museum’s visitor services and facilities: the on- and off-line shops, which offer the payment methods most commonly used by this market; a Tax Refund system; nativespeaking guides; audio guides in Mandarin; and the menu available in the cafeteria. This section also includes the Chinese Friendly logo, reflecting the fact that the Thyssen is the first art museum to belong to a group of companies and institutions that aim to facilitate visits from Chinese tourists.

Finally, the practical information page provides details on how to reach the Museum easily, including a downloadable map and a link for fast and trouble-free ticket purchase.