Top 10 cultural events in 2014
china.org.cn / chinagate.cn, January 5, 2015 Adjust font size:
Editor's note:
2014 was a fruitful and prosperous year for the cultural field. Here we present you top 10 cultural events of 2014 selected by China.org.cn.
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Debut of Palace Museum mascots
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The Palace Museum mascots, "Zhuangzhuang" and "Meimei," first meet the public in Xiamen, Fujian Province on Nov. 23, 2014. |
The Palace Museum mascots, "Zhuangzhuang" and "Meimei," first met the public in Xiamen, Fujian province on Nov. 23.
The mascots' design originates from the traditional Chinese symbols of the dragon and phoenix. The names of the mascots also bear special meanings. "Zhuang," which means strong in Mandarin, expresses the power of the dragon and represents the magnificent Forbidden City. "Mei," which means beautiful, represents the more than 1.8 million treasures collected by the museum.
Developing the mascots' design took more than 10 months. All the costumes, beads, hats, and other accessories worn by the mascots underwent scrupulous examination by experts. The mascots wear costumes from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and it is expected that future mascots will wear costumes from other dynasties.
The museum's online mall opened on Jan, 1, 2015 so that cultural products, including the mascots, can be delivered to households around the world. The mascots have stirred heated discussion on Sina Weibo, attracting more than 22,000 comments.
