The unique cultural elements along with the high-quality park spaces in Beijing have brought unprecedented development to the cultural and creative industries in the city's major parks. "Gifts from Parks" are quietly changing the image of generic tourist souvenirs such as branded keychains and printed notebooks, adding vitality to Beijing's characteristic cultural and creative system.
Cultural and Creative Products in Yuyuantan Park
Yuyuantan Park is a historical city park, urban leisure park, and also a national AAAA-level tourist attraction. The park is divided into four areas: cherry blossom area, wetland area, sports and leisure area, along with the cultural exhibition area, featuring cherry blossom garden, wetland park, Wanliu Hall, Monument to Chinese Young Heroes, Yuyuan Chunqiu, with other scenic areas and garden architecture. It is a popular leisure destination for citizens to enjoy cherry blossoms in spring, water activities in summer, leaf viewing in autumn, and snow-related activities in winter.
In 2023, new cherry blossom-themed cultural and creative products have been launched in Yuyuantan, such as the "Yu" Jian cherry blossom series, "Yuyuantan Little Sakura (Xiao Ying)" series, and other derivative product series like the eighth-generation cherry blossom ice cream, which attracts many visitors. The "Yu" Jian cherry blossom series includes more than 10 cultural and creative products such as cushions and rotating badges with cherry blossom elements, featuring a clear theme and warm colors, which are both unique and practical. The "Yuyuantan Little Sakura" series focuses on the visual theme of "hello spring" and "joy of spring," making the classic image of "Little Sakura" more vivid, youthful, and delicate while reflecting the good moral of spring.
This year, the park has developed more than 10 cherry blossom derivative products based on the eighth-generation cherry blossom ice cream "Spring Sakura," including cherry blossom ice cream keychains, plush Sakura air pillows, "Cherry Blossom Ice Cream" refrigerator stickers, etc. These cute and lovely products are must-haves for visitors to the park.
Cultural and Creative Products in Beihai Park
Beihai Park is located in the center of Beijing and is the oldest classical imperial garden with the most complete preservation and the deepest cultural accumulation in Chinese history. The formation and development of Beihai has gone through several dynasties, including the Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing, carrying nearly a thousand years of Chinese history and culture. It has formed a style of garden art represented by imperial gardens, which is a masterpiece that condenses the great achievements of garden culture and art of all dynasties.
The products in the "Emperor's Family Story" cultural and creative store of Beihai Park revolves closely around the "imperial" theme. On the display stand, a row of square sticks with special patterns and the words "Yu Yong (merely used by emperors)" printed on them are actually pencils. Every dragon on the Nine-Dragon Wall has been put on erasers, making people want to collect them all. The Beihai silk scarf, whose design came from the inspiration of treasures inside the park, is undoubtedly a long-lasting popular product. Calligraphy artwork by Wang Xizhi (one of the greatest calligraphers in Chinese history), lion and qilin figures from the Iron Screen (Tieying Bi) of the Yuan Dynasty, as well as the auspicious patterns on the ancient dome can be found on the scarf. The "Sixteen Arhats (Shiliu Ying Zhenxiang)" inside the Miao Xiang Pavilion Buddhist pagoda has also been developed into a series of ink rubbings. By printing the rubbings by hand, one can make the intangible cultural heritage perceivable and experiential.
The ice cream with a shape of lotus flower at "Cantan Shop" in Beihai Park has become a phenomenon with its high-quality appearance and good taste. There are three flavors of lotus ice cream: vanilla (white), strawberry (pink), and lotus (orange). All the ice cream is made by hand and without any additives, with safe and healthy ingredients along with a light milk flavor. In addition, the lotus ice cream has a special texture, with each petal feeling vivid and lifelike. The exquisite lotus shape is in perfect harmony with Beihai Park.
Cultural and Creative Products in Tiantan Park
The Tiantan Park (Temple of Heaven) used to be the place where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties held ceremonies to worship and pray for good harvests. Every corner of this place is filled with the solemn and serious culture of ancient sacrificial rituals. The long history has given this temple a profound cultural heritage, and every cultural and creative product here has a unique cultural charm.
When you come to the "Goodies in Temple of Heaven" ,the cultural and creative store, you will find the space filled with a dazzling array of goods, with a wide range of cultural and creative products. The Songyan Daimo perfume is the most Chinese-style perfume, jointly launched by the Temple of Heaven, the National Treasure, and AROMAG. According to the oriental tradition of using incense, the fragrance of Songyan (black ash formed after the combustion of pine wood) in the traditional imperial ink is selected as the main scent to design a top-class perfume that belongs exclusively to Chinese. The Qi'nian Youfu USB flash drive is specially tailored for office workers. It can not only be used as a flash drive, but also a decoration and a seal. Its whole piece is made of water-resistant beech wood, fashionable and durable.
The best-selling item here is undoubtedly the zodiac bookmarks. The 12 animals representing traditional Chinese culture are made fairly vivid and cute, with particularly brilliant color matching. Among them, the dragon, which represents the Chinese image is widely loved by tourists.
Cultural and Creative Products in ZhongshanPark
Zhongshan Park is an ancient, elegant, and solemn classical memorial garden. It is located in an advantageous geographical position and has a beautiful scenery. In recent years, Zhongshan Park's cultural and creative store has launched lots of characteristic cultural and creative products, adding unique fun to the visitors' flower viewing experience.
The characteristic flower metal bookmarks there are designed and made through combining the Chinese classical garden flower window style with the park's characteristic flowers such as tulips, orchids, plum blossoms, and chrysanthemums. These exquisite bookmarks make reading more interesting for visitors. Zhongshan Park holds a tulip flower exhibition every spring, with a long history. The tulip flower is designed into a beautiful graphic pattern, made into a small and exquisite fan, matched with gorgeous colors there in the fans. Designers use fans with silk surface and a 360-degree rotating circular shape, which originated from the Tang Dynasty, and is matched with modern decorative patterns, showing a profound cultural heritage with stylish features.
Court goldfish is a part of the traditional culture of Zhongshan Park. The park holds Goldfish Exhibition frequently, which is a characteristic exhibition of the park. The cute court goldfish are designed as cartoon characters and made into sticky notes, accompanying visitors in their work and study while spreading the landscape culture of Zhongshan Park, bringing visitors a happy mood and good wishes. Each goldfish on the Zhongshan Park goldfish tea set is hand-drawn by artists, with each pattern being unique. Visitors can feel the natural charm of the goldfish while tasting tea.
