To give a little context first: it’s been a long time since I last visited a museum, especially a proper one. Maybe many museums nowadays already offer this kind of rental device, but for us, it was the first time seeing this smart audio guide at the Suzhou Museum West. You simply scan with WeChat Pay or Alipay to rent it, and after returning the device, the deposit is refunded.
If there’s a museum you’re really interested in and you’d love to have a guided tour but either the timing doesn’t work out or the language barrier gets in the way, then this is a great tool. It supports multiple languages, and you just match it with the section of the exhibition you’re visiting to listen to the explanations. You can dive deeper into the items you’re curious about, or simply skip what you’re not interested in—completely up to your own preferences. Sometimes with a live guide, not everything they explain catches your interest, but you still have to follow along since they usually stick to a fixed routine.
We were curious about how it worked, so we rented one to try. Each of us took turns experiencing it. Hygiene isn’t an issue either—the earphones are disposable and you can even keep them. You can also choose between a male or female voice. For me, though, since it had been quite a while, I still found it a bit hard to follow—the explanations are delivered in a very formal, serious tone.
For solo travelers, or for those who feel shy about joining a group tour, this is a perfect solution. You don’t need to worry about other people’s opinions, and you can fully control your own pace and timing.
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