Staff members showcase paper-cutting works at the Ultimate China Culture & Museum Creative Market in Beijing on October 27, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of Chinese National Geography

While artifacts cannot leave museums, cultural creative products can travel far and wide, said a cultural observer.

The National Museum of China recently launched an original fridge magnet inspired by a phoenix crown, selling over 1,000 units within just two hours of its release, igniting interest in the entire series of cultural and creative products. With the public introduction of creative ice creams, tea sets, and fans, more traditional cultural elements are being skillfully integrated into modern life through cultural and creative products.

The Ultimate China Culture & Museum Creative Market held in Beijing this week gathered unique cultural and creative products from museums across China to provide the public with an opportunity to engage with diverse cultures.

"In today's era of flourishing national trends and ­cultural tourism, the ­popularity of museums is also on the rise. All of this urgently needs to be transformed into tangible products, and cultural and creative items are the perfect embodiment of this demand," Lin Shaobo of the Chinese ­National ­Geography Magazine told the Global Times.

A bird-shaped cultural product on display at the Ultimate China Culture & Museum Creative Market in Beijing Photo: Courtesy of Chinese National Geography

Cultural convergence

The public's demand for culture is continuously increasing, and museums serve as crucial links between history and contemporary life, bearing the responsibility of disseminating traditional culture. During this year's ­National Day holidays, ­museums across the country welcomed 74.88 million visitors. As the "museum fever" continues, museum creative products are entering people's lives with a more vibrant and open approach.

However, due to geographic and time constraints, many people cannot visit museums frequently. To address this gap, creative markets have emerged. Through joint exhibitions and sales by museums nationwide, these markets provide the public with a more accessible and engaging cultural experience.

"There are 6,833 museums across the country. Beyond the National Museum and the Forbidden City, there are many local museums with unique characteristics that deserve more recognition," Lin noted. "Our market aims to create a platform to help these museums reach wider audiences and gain greater exposure, showcasing cultural creative products that are worth being owned by more people."

As cultural creative products embed culture into tangible items, imbuing them with value to make culture more accessible to the public, thus generating more products for cultural dissemination, Lin emphasized that the consumption habits and preferences for "Chinese-style" aesthetics among younger consumers provide strong market momentum for the rise of museum creative products, gradually unlocking market potential.

"While artifacts cannot leave museums, cultural creative products can travel far and wide. Artifacts are serious, but cultural products can be lively," Lin said.

"I was relatively unfamiliar with museums and artifacts, but through the tangible forms of cultural and creative products at the market, I gain relevant knowledge and was inspired, the market making it an excellent way to promote cultural awareness," Zhang Wenhao, a cultural and creative product enthusiast, told the Global Times at the market.

According to Lin, today's young people are more inclined to utilize the internet for interaction, information dissemination, and content sharing. The trend of "showing off museum visits" has gradually taken hold among the youth, further promoting the development of the museum creative market.

Plush doll pendants inspired by Zhong Kui, a god who exorcises ghosts and evil spirits in folklore Photo: Courtesy of Chinese National Geography

The green horse and astragalus dolls from the Gansu Provincial ­Museum, small Buddha dolls from the Yungang Grottoes, and the Zhong Kui (a god who exorcises ghosts and evil spirits in folklore) doll by Changshu Museum in particular, have all been immensely popular and sold out quickly. The rise of national trends and cultural confidence has further fueled consumer enthusiasm, making these creative products representatives of a popular trend.

Classic inheritance

Gao Dianliang, a representative inheritor of the first batch of intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting from Yuxian county in Hebei Province, who previously collaborated with the Palace Museum on creative paper-cutting products, told the Global Times that quality cultural creative products attract audiences of all ages.

"The appeal of paper-cutting art in cultural products largely depends on the quality of the paper-cutting itself. Good paper-cutting works lead to successful paper-cutting creative products. Paper-cutting is a popular art form that resonates with the public, and there is still a large group of young enthusiasts," he said.

Gao emphasized that innovation stems from inheritance. This inheritance includes not only form and color but also cultural connotations, often aiming to convey positive thoughts and emotions rooted in traditional culture. "Every millimeter of a beard represents five strands in five centimeters; that's the standard for Yuxian county paper-cutting," Gao explained. "Now, we are collaborating with schools to offer interest-based clubs, and have ­initiated partnerships with various other institutions. Increasingly, young people are showing interest in traditional culture."

Through the market, traditional Chinese culture is transformed from exhibits into quality creative products, showcasing a new model of "exhibition-creation integration." "Works embody culture, and behind culture are people. Social media promotion can effectively shape the image of traditional artists, making skilled artisans known and appreciated, thereby advancing cultural proliferation and prosperity," Gao noted.