After years of engagement in cultural and creative industries, it is easy to trace a clear “evolution path” for museum cultural and creative products. The sector started with scaled-down replicas of cultural relics sold at museum counters, then moved on to printing patterns of relics or museum logos on daily necessities. Later, 3D technology was adopted to precisely recreate artifacts, integrating traditional crafts such as cloisonné, gilding and mortise-and-tenon joinery. Today, “cultural tourism + technology” has become an industry trend, marking a new stage for museum cultural and creative development.

We may take cultural creative fridge magnets as a window to observe this new phase.

The phoenix crown series fridge magnets from the National Museum of China saw its first batch of 3,000 wooden versions sell out within 48 hours after launch. The AR-enabled metal version sold 2,300 units within just two hours of release, with total sales exceeding 3 million. The moth-and-gold hairpin fridge magnet, which can also be worn as a hair ornament or brooch, is sold in limited runs and repeatedly sells out. The consistent popularity of these fridge magnets proves the strong vitality and wide appeal of fine traditional Chinese culture in modern cultural consumption, and also reflects new features of the cultural creative industry.

What exactly is new?

First, technology and formats. Sound, light and interactive effects are now standard features, while AR, VR and AI are widely applied. For instance, the AI elf “Xiao Yue the Owl”, inspired by the bronze owl zun from the Fu Hao Tomb in the National Museum of China, turns the solemn bronze relic into a cute plush toy. Embedded with a cultural tourism large language model, it supports intelligent voice interaction, combining education with fun. When digital technology meets cultural IP, cultural creations become far more engaging.

Second, the relationship between people, cultural creations and cultural relics. Wearable and interactive fridge magnets have gone viral on social media. Many visitors travel to the National Museum of China specially to see the original relics. This “museum exhibition + cultural creation linkage” model means cultural souvenirs are no longer merely keepsakes. They serve as another gateway to the museum, amplifying cultural appeal. This offers an insight: the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional culture should ultimately touch individual people — whether through the beauty of relics or the stories behind them, sparking genuine curiosity and admiration.

Popular cultural creative products share common traits, yet commonality must not equal homogenization. A prominent phenomenon in recent years is that once one product becomes a hit, its lookalikes quickly pop up in museum gift shops nationwide within months. How can we avoid a repetitive “same look for all products” and drive continuous evolution of cultural creations?

Let cultural creations tell stories. Behind every cultural relic lie craftsmanship, ancient rituals, dynastic shifts, and unnamed craftsmen lost to history. Many current cultural creations only borrow the shape of relics without tapping into their stories. Shapes can be copied, but stories cannot. Quality cultural creations must be good storytellers. Bringing stories to life with rich details and exploring unique local heritage is not only a competitive strategy for the market, but also essential for high-quality industrial development.

Turn cultural relics into characters. Going forward, museums may develop original derivative characters based on relic collections, endowing them with personalities, relationships and life stories. Once the character image is well-established, supporting merchandise can be developed. In this scenario, buyers are no longer purchasing replicas of relics, but a vivid, well-rounded character. This greatly broadens the interpretive potential of cultural creations.

Adopt a planned development approach. It is reasonable for cultural creative development to pursue commercial value, but developers should not only chase short-term profits or fall into homogenized competition. Whether exploring pet-themed cultural creations, EDC (everyday carry) goods, doll outfits, or developing products around lesser-known relics and niche categories, long-term thinking, differentiated, distinctive and personalized development is the way to secure sustainable growth with unique quality.

When it comes to boosting the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization, the logic for our industry is straightforward: bring cultural relics stored in museums to life. What is the next direction for museum cultural creations? The answer is simple: dig deep into the rich treasures of China’s 5,000-year civilization.

Declaration: All original content belongs to People’s Daily. Source: People’s Daily, November 5, 2026, Page 5. Author: Liao Fei, Head of Cultural and Creative Department, National Museum of China. Please contact us for removal if there are copyright concerns.