More than 2,000 projectors are now on show at the film collection, research and protection museum in Rugao. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

A new museum celebrating the art of moviemaking opened to the public in Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, on Oct 20.

Covering 9,000 square meters, the center is home to an impressive collection of films and features a number of exhibitions, as well as details about the film restoration process and the wider movie industry. It is expected to become a major cultural center and popular tourist attraction for the city. 

The museum was established using the private collection of a local named Liu Jian in 2012. Liu previously ran the museum as his own small center and collected a whopping 20,000 films with his small team of enthusiasts. 

He also boasted an impressive collection of projectors, thousands of stills, posters and scripts from around the world, with the oldest dating back to 1905.

"We not only collect film materials, but also try to arrange and restore them through modern scientific methods," said Liu, a former procurator.

He has partnered with the National Archives Administration to set up a technology center to restore old film from archive collections. Experts from China Film Co have been visiting the center annually to help train workers in the delicate art of film restoration.

"Eventually, I hope to bring in the latest technologies from Hollywood and offer the very best training," said Liu, who hopes that the new museum will eventually be used for film restoration, digital film production and education.