Go to an Art Museum Day on November 9 urges people to step away from screens and visit galleries

In today's fast, digital age, people scroll past thousands of images, videos and screens of information every day. Walking into a quiet art museum to take in the layers of colour in paintings, the carving on sculptures and the feeling of an artist from hundreds of years ago can be an enriching experience.

To recall that experience, 'Go to an Art Museum Day' is celebrated with enthusiasm every year on November 9. The day offers people around the world a way to take time out of busy daily life and reconnect with art, history and culture.

Art museums are not merely places that store old objects or walls on which beautiful pictures hang. They are living records of the history, diversity and immense creativity of human culture. Art is regarded as a reflection of the soul of society.

Stepping into a museum, visitors see outstanding works from different eras. There is painting, where old and modern oil paintings show the artists' emotions and the social life of their time. There is sculpture, with remarkable human and natural forms shaped from stone, metal or clay. There is architecture, where historical models show how ancient palaces, temples and buildings were built. There are also folk and traditional arts, including local traditions, tribal culture and handicrafts preserved over generations. Together, these works lay out the history of human imagination under one roof.

The best way to mark the day is to visit a museum in person. For those who have not been to one in a long time, November 9 is an ideal occasion.

Four suggestions have been made for the day. First, visit art museums and galleries in your city or area and see their exhibitions. Second, talk to the museum's guides, known as docents, or to artists present, and learn the stories behind the works. Third, if you enjoy drawing, carry a notebook and pencil and try sketching an artwork you like. Fourth, many schools, colleges and social organisations hold special art workshops, lectures and painting competitions on this day, and children should take part in them.

According to scientists and psychologists, time spent in an art museum is very good for health. Viewing artworks in a calm setting lowers the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the brain and settles the mind. Seeing works from different cultures and ideas also broadens one's outlook on the world. Looking at other artists' work also gives rise to new thoughts and ideas.

"Art is not a means of entertainment but an expression of human sensibilities." 'Go to an Art Museum Day' teaches just this. This November 9, people are therefore encouraged to visit their nearest art museum, take pride in their heritage and appreciate the labour of artists.