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Museum toy gains popularity with its unique designs
Updated 19:21, 05-Jul-2022
Wang Mengjie
02:00

Want to know who is the grinning green guy standing on one foot? Meet China's latest internet celebrity.

With its unique shape, the plush toy reproduces the posture and details of the bronze horse, a relic showcased at Gansu Provincial Museum in northwest China.

"Based around the design of the bronze horse, we added some humor to the design, as the toy looks as though it's doing exercises," said Cui Youxin, manager of the design team at Gansu Provincial Museum, adding that they want to make this an opportunity to attract more young people to the museum.

The toy quickly topped the list of popular sales after launching online, with monthly sales reaching over 1,000 orders.

"The toy makes people laugh, which will drive people to buy," Cui told CGTN.

"People who buy the toy will explore the history behind it. This is the power of these cultural products," said the manager.

Besides the toy, the museum has also launched a series of kites, bookmarks, folding fans and other creative products based on cultural relics.

In recent years, creative designs, like the bronze figurine playing mahjong showcased at the Sanxingdui Museum or the relic showing female musicians dancing exhibited at the Henan Museum, have seen large public interest.

Cui said she thinks of the museum as more than a showroom.

"It's a place to make people learn, and our products have bridged modern society with ancient culture," Cui said, stressing that the younger generations prefer products that have a personality so that they can share it online.

Cui believes more and more of these ancient cultural relics partnered with modern design concepts will be on the market and welcomed by many.

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