Figurines featuring two painted pottery females holding hands attract tourists to Luoyang Museum in C China’s Henan
At the Luoyang Museum in central China’s Henan Province, a common sight unfolds鈥攜oung women in Hanfu visiting the museum’s popular figurines featuring two painted pottery females holding hands. The figurines, dating back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), stand side by side holding hands, with twin bun hairstyles, floral ornaments on their foreheads, and rouge on their cheeks.
Tourists pose for a picture with figurines featuring two painted pottery females holding hands at the Luoyang Museum in central China’s Henan Province. (Photo/Yang Yanfei)
"We came from Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province and we put on Hanfu just to take a photo with the figurines," said a tourist named Sun Ya. She and her friend posed in front of the display, mimicking the figurines’ stance and expressions.
"In April 2005, we acquired a group of artifacts of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Among 21 painted female figurines, this pair is especially rare," explained Sun Haiyan, deputy curator of the Luoyang Museum. "The high waist makes the legs look longer, and the V-neck highlights the neckline. This design is fashionable even today," said Sun.
As more young people come to visit the artifacts, the museum has adjusted the display.
"The figurines used to be in a large shared case against the wall, placed low, so visitors had to squat to take pictures," said guide Zhang Linnan, adding that now they have their own display case, making them easier to view and photograph.
Nearby shops have launched makeup and hairstyle services inspired by the figurines, recreating the hairstyle and makeup. Online, young creators are producing comics, short videos, and other content that reimagine the figurines living in today’s world.
"Combining Hanfu with cultural relics is like a ’handshake’ across time," said Zhang Xiangyu, president of the Henan Provincial Institute of Culture and Tourism Planning.
More and more young people are drawn to the emotional experience of museum visits. Many museums are now shifting their focus from simply displaying artifacts to creating meaningful, people-centered interactions, said Zhang Xiangyu.
Gansu Provincial Museum offers creative cultural experience
At the entrance to the second floor of the Art & Lifestyle Pavilion at the Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu Province, a sculpture of a pajama-clad "green horse" sits cross-legged on a sofa. Nearby, bird figurines lounge casually, surrounded by a TV, rug, and other cozy details鈥攖ogether creating a playful modern living room scene.
Photo shows a bronze horse statue, popularly known as "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," at the Gansu Provincial Museum in northwest China’s Gansu Province. (Photo courtesy of the Gansu Provincial Museum)
This themed space was launched by the museum’s cultural products design team. Soft-opened on May 1 and officially unveiled on International Museum Day, the nearly 600-square-meter space centers around the "green horse" character, offering visitors an immersive experience across six themed zones.
The "green horse" is inspired by the museum’s iconic national treasure, a bronze horse statue, popularly known as "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow." During the trial run, the exhibit drew hundreds of visitors daily.
With an average age under 30, the museum’s cultural products design team is breathing new life into cultural relics. "We highlighted the bronze horse’s raised head and lively stance to give it a more playful and approachable feel," said designer Wu Xiaoyu.
Keeping that connection alive means offering more than just exhibits鈥攊t’s about emotional engagement. After admiring ancient relics in the main galleries, visitors step into the Art & Lifestyle Pavilion to meet these reimagined characters in everyday scenes. Reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.
E China’s Jiangsu brings major exhibitions to residents’ doorsteps
Over the weekend, Hu Fang, a resident of Wujiang district in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, visited the Suzhou Bay Museum with friends. The museum is the 10th stop on an exhibition tour. 21 treasures from museums in the province, including the Nanjing Museum, the China Grand Canal Museum in Yangzhou, and the Suzhou Museum, were brought right to the doorsteps of local communities.
The artifacts were displayed in two temporary exhibition halls on the museum’s first floor. In Hall 1, a large naked-eye 3D screen presented detailed, multi-angle views of the relics, delivering an immersive visual experience.
Photo shows a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rose quartz incense burner with chi dragon-shaped ears and a lid, from the collection of the Nanjing Museum in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Photo courtesy of the Nanjing Museum)
Popular artifacts, including a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rose quartz incense burner with chi dragon-shaped ears and a lid, from the Nanjing Museum, and a gilt-bronze and cloisonn肁9 enamel elephant tripod incense burner from the China Grand Canal Museum, were displayed in digital cases, one side of which used 3D effects to rotate and magnify the relics for closer viewing.
A tourist examines the intricate details of a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) rose quartz incense burner with chi dragon-shaped ears and a lid from the Nanjing Museum in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Yang Qinqin)
The cultural and creative market built around the exhibition also drew large crowds. Young visitors lined up to buy fridge magnets, stamp books, plush toys, and other souvenirs 鈥 and to collect themed stamps.
Tian Tian, head of the cultural and creative department at the Nanjing Museum, said the museum is continually developing new products throughout the tour to meet the growing public interest in taking a "piece" of cultural heritage home.
Since its launch last September, the exhibition tour has traveled to 10 cities and districts across Jiangsu, setting single-day attendance records at several local museums and driving a surge in the popular trend of collecting stamps and museum-themed souvenirs.
Hunan Museum in C China’s Hunan brings images of leopard cats on ancient lacquer plate to life
At the cultural and creative shop of the Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, products inspired by the images of leopard cats on a lacquer plate excavated from Mawangdui in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD) have become a hit among young shoppers.
Photo shows images of leopard cats on a lacquer plate excavated from Mawangdui in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD) on display at the Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province. (Photo courtesy of the Hunan Museum)
Thanks to the efforts of the museum’s cultural and creative research center, these ancient designs have been reimagined into playful, endearing characters. Today, they appear in everyday items that resonate with younger audiences鈥攆rom phone cases to fridge magnets, becoming cherished symbols of style and heritage.
Zhang Xu, director of the cultural and creative research center at the museum, explained that the leopard cat IP was developed using the lacquer plate as inspiration. The museum launched multiple product lines which fuse Han Dynasty aesthetics with contemporary design.
"Creating and operating cultural IPs allows museums to break through traditional boundaries and unlock the cultural value of heritage," Zhang Xu said.
Offline, museum culture is increasingly blending into everyday consumer experiences. Inside the museum park at the museum, five popular food and beverage brands have opened outlets, offering themed products inspired by the cultural relics. Visitors can dress in Hanfu, enjoy traditional Han-style banquets, and shop for Han-themed gifts, turning the museum into a trendy spot for experiencing the Han lifestyle.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0521/c98649-20317797.html