While the lockdown has slowed visitor traffic to sites such as the Belau National Museum (BNM), the BNM has taken the opportunity to update its exhibitions, and is in the process of digitizing its cultural displays with the development of an online gallery.
According to workers at the museum, the online gallery is intended to create a more interactive experience for visitors to the BNM’s website, and to showcase traditional Palauan heritage to a wider audience.
The posts include images of a variety of cultural artifacts and educational information on all of them, including how they were made, their traditional uses in Palauan society, and archaeological information on their discoveries. So far, the artifacts include the traditional chebakl (adze), turtle shell and dugong vertebra bracelets, the lime dispenser, and an ancient clay vessel discovered on Ulong Island.
The BNM continues to update its exhibits, the latest display being a series of sketched portraits of the Presidents of Palau by the late Palauan artist Dave Ngirailemesang. The portraits have recently been taken back by the Museum from the Office of the President, where they were on display since June.