Kyrgyzstan Culture Ministry denies transfer of museum floors to China

Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy has officially denied circulating reports claiming that the 4th and 5th floors of the National History Museum have been transferred to China. The ministry asserted that no part of the museum has been handed over to foreign entities for ownership, lease, or permanent use.

Reports of the transfer stemmed from a video circulating on social media, where the author alleged that two floors of the museum were being given to the Chinese side. However, the ministry clarified that the exhibition in question is a temporary international display titled "Harmony Creates Beauty: Art of Ancient Chinese Civilization." This exhibition is scheduled to run from August 15 to November 15 and is organized under cooperation agreements between the National History Museum of Kyrgyzstan and museums in Tianjin and Inner Mongolia.

The ministry emphasized that the exhibition will be housed in available spaces designated for international and temporary exhibitions, not in the museum's permanent exhibition halls. Permanent exhibits will continue to operate as usual. The ministry also recalled a similar collaboration in 2025, when a traveling exhibition from Kyrgyzstan's National History Museum was hosted in Beijing.

Highlighting that international temporary exhibitions are a common practice for fostering collaboration between museums globally, the Ministry of Culture urged citizens and the media to rely on official sources and refrain from disseminating unverified information. The ministry stressed that these temporary exhibitions are a normal part of cultural exchange and do not involve any transfer of ownership or long-term use of museum space.