KUCHING: The Borneo Cultures Museum (BCM) has overtaken the world-renowned Louvre in Paris to claim the top spot in the ‘By Voting’ category on the Museum World Ranking website.
As of 4.30pm today (Nov 4), BCM secured the number one position with 5,274 votes, surpassing the Louvre, which garnered 4,033 votes.
Other museums featured in the top 10 of the same category include the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico (4,008 votes), the National Palace Museum in Chinese Taipei (3,995), Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain (3,917), Getty Center in the United States (3,713), Art Institute of Chicago in the United States (3,436), Houston Museum of Natural Science in the United States (3,003), Le Gallerie degli Uffizi in Italy (2,605), and the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada (2,352).
Voting for the museum can be done on the website at https://www.museumworldranking.net/?by=voting.
Just last month, BCM announced on its Facebook post that it had been listed on the Museum World Ranking — a global recognition of the world’s best museums.
“Currently, BCM ranks 305th out of 413 museums worldwide,” the post read.
BCM also said it is one of only three Malaysian museums featured on the list, alongside the National Museum and the National Textile Museum in Kuala Lumpur.
The BCM building represents the largest development project in the history of the Sarawak Museum since its establishment in 1891. Officially opened in 2022, it is Malaysia’s first museum to be certified as a Green Building under the Green Building Index (GBI).
The five-storey building consists of climate controlled permanent and temporary exhibitions spaces, Children’s Gallery, function room, auditorium, restaurant and a souvenir shop.
It also houses an Arts and Crafts Gallery which includes activity labs and a dance studio.
Through its theme-based permanent exhibitions, BCM offers immersive and interactive experiences for visitors, incorporating audio-visual technology, modern technology and digital displays that enhance artefact storytelling and visitor engagement.
Recognised as Malaysia’s largest museum and the second-largest in Southeast Asia, BCM has continued to attract strong visitor numbers.
In June this year, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that the museum had welcomed 1,354,275 visitors since its official opening in 2022.
