Its exterior incorporates cutting-edge technology that creates visual illusions, changing appearance with different weather conditions and times of day. Because of its futuristic design, it has been dubbed "the big spaceship" by locals and visitors, and has become a new landmark for science and culture in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Guangzhou-based fragrance museum received the honor after being certified by the Guinness World Records in November as the largest fragrance museum.

Located in Baiyun district, it has an immersive space of over 9,500 sq m, with 18 themed exhibition areas, more than 50 interactive installations and over 300 scent points.

The structure is composed of clusters of red-brick cylinders inspired by the distillers used in modern perfume-making, resembling a "fragrance castle" that appears to breathe.

Unlike traditional museums that focus primarily on visual experiences, it offers a sensory journey centered on smell, providing visitors with a distinctive immersive experience.

For Guangzhou, the recognition signals an expansion of the city's cultural and tourism offerings beyond sightseeing and cuisine to more nuanced sensory experiences, Weng said.

Chen Shaofeng, chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Museums Association and deputy director of the Guangdong Museum, said the fragrance museum, as a specialized institution, plays an important role in promoting fragrance culture.

qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn