Recently, at the Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, a plush toy named "Happy Loong" captured the hearts of tourists.
Modeled after a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) gold ornament in the shape of a loong, or Chinese dragon, over 1,000 of the chubby, grinning toys were sold in the first week after it made its debut earlier this year.
Wu Xiaoyu, one of the toy's designers, said the museum's creative cultural product design team had aimed to create a more adorable and joyous version of the traditional loong to cater to the tastes of young people.
The team was established in 2015 and consists of 12 young designers, with the youngest being 24 years old.
This innovative approach to museum souvenirs reflects a broader trend, even though cultural products are more attractive to young museum visitors in China, thereby increasing the revenue of various museums.
For example, the online store of the Palace Museum provides interesting and humorous souvenirs featuring emperors in Chinese history. These souvenirs, from lipstick, fans to tape and wallets, have all received positive reviews from customers.
Similarly, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has developed nearly 300 cultural products, with a revenue of 14 million yuan (2 million US dollars) last year.