As the new semester approaches, students and parents have begun purchasing school supplies. Recently, reporters visited several bookstores and stationery shops across the city and found that merchants are launching a variety of promotional activities around the back-to-school economy. During the visits, it was noted that consumers’ mindsets are quietly shifting—placing greater emphasis on practicality and cost-effectiveness, while shopping behavior is becoming more rational.Buying Books—Parents Spare No ExpenseThe Lanzhou Book Fair is currently in full swing. Many students, either with friends or accompanied by parents, came to browse and shop. The exhibition areas are divided into themes such as science, lifestyle, art, children’s literature, social sciences, and educational publications. Major publishers and bookstores have launched promotions like “discounts on bulk purchases” and “free gifts with book buys,” attracting many families to stop and shop.One parent attending the fair with her child shared:“In our family, when it comes to buying books for the child, we basically say yes to any request. A few years ago, my child mostly read children’s literature, such as works by Cao Wenxuan and Yang Hongying. Over the past year or two, he’s been more interested in social science books, like A History of the World in 100 Objects from the British Museum or Exploring the Ocean. We let his interests guide his choices.”The parent explained that reading brings benefits such as expanding knowledge and providing spiritual fulfillment—things that cannot be gained by doing exercises alone. That’s why she insists her child reads every week and is always willing to buy the books he likes.In the tutoring materials section of the fair, many parents were carefully comparing different editions of textbooks and workbooks, prioritizing practical and reasonably priced products. Ms. Li, who was with her daughter about to start junior high, was attentively reviewing a math guidebook. She said:“These days we look for ‘fewer but better’ books. For example, this one not only has detailed explanations but also includes online video tutorials. It’s more suitable for parents to help children identify and fill in their learning gaps.”Shopping with a List—Buying Stationery as NeededOn the other side of the fair, the stationery section was also bustling with activity. Reporters observed that many families came prepared with shopping lists, checking items as they went to avoid impulse purchases.“We follow the principle of not wasting. Before coming here, we organized the study desk, reviewed what we already had, and streamlined the list to match real needs and a set budget. We only buy essential study supplies and a few daily necessities,” said one parent. “For example, we only replenish broken pens and notebooks rather than buying a full new set. The money saved can be spent on a couple of extra books—that’s a real educational investment.”A staff member at the exhibition explained:“For the back-to-school season, we launched an 8.8% discount across the board, highlighting practical and cost-effective items, such as domestically made fountain pens and eco-friendly notebooks, which are proving very popular.”“Since my child grew quite a bit over the summer, I’m taking advantage of the promotions to buy a few clothes so he’ll have something new to wear when school starts,” said Ms. Wang, who visited a nearby mall after the book fair. She added, “Right now summer clothes are heavily discounted—a T-shirt costs just over 30 yuan, which is a great deal.”Reporters also found that this back-to-school period coincides with summer clearance sales and the launch of autumn collections. Many sports brands and children’s clothing and shoe stores in shopping malls have introduced “back-to-school refresh” promotions. Some lifestyle stores have also joined the back-to-school economy chain by offering bundles of “stationery + daily essentials.” One woman told reporters that since her child grows quickly, she often stocks up on clothes and shoes during sales that he can wear next year, helping to save on expenses.Overall, back-to-school consumption has shifted from the old habit of “full replacement” to the new trend of “targeted replenishment,” with both merchants and consumers promoting a rational, sustainable shopping culture.Declaration: This article comes from Zhang Dan, All-Media Reporter of Lanzhou Daily(Lanzhou Evening News).If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

The cicadas of summer still echo in our ears, yet the calendar has quietly slipped into the back-to-school countdown. The old pencil case in your backpack is waiting to be replaced, and the blank notebooks on your desk long to be filled… As you pack your bags and head to campus, those stationery items full of anticipation are ready to become your trusted companions in study and daily life.We’ve curated a selection of must-have back-to-school items, each carrying good wishes for the new semester.Storage Supplies: Stay Organized, Start FreshA backpack is a “mobile warehouse” for school life. A well-fitting backpack makes the way to school much easier. Designed to fit the curve of the back, it reduces shoulder pressure and holds even heavy textbooks securely. With layered compartments for books, water bottles, and umbrellas, plus small side pockets for bus cards and tissues, you’ll always find what you need without rummaging through a mess.Image source: HANGZHOU LANGUO CULTURAL & CREATIVE CO., LTD.. (Booth No. H6-510)Accordion folders are great helpers for organizing exam papers. With layered dividers like a bookshelf, they neatly sort different subjects and document types. Fold it lightly to close, take it to class, and never worry about scattered papers again—you’ll find materials quickly and confidently.Image source: Zhejiang Topteam Stationery Co., Ltd. (Booth No. H5-515)A pencil case is a “cozy home” for pens and small stationery. Some are cute with embroidered designs full of childlike fun; others are practical with a large-capacity design that holds more than a dozen pens. Multiple compartments keep pencils, erasers, and rulers in place, with smooth zippers for easy use—no more scrambling for a pen in class.Image source: Taizhou Chenyu Stationery Co., Ltd. (Booth No. H8-951)Writing Supplies: Record Moments, Write Your GrowthA writing board is a “stable foundation” for writing. Hard boards eliminate uneven surfaces, keeping paper flat whether you’re writing on a desk or your lap. Some boards even include clips to neatly secure loose homework sheets or notes, acting as a “caring guardian” to support smooth writing.Image source: Yiwu YiwuShan Office Supplies Co., Ltd. (Booth No. H8-409)Pens are the “sharp tools” of writing. Fountain pens write with smooth nibs and bold strokes, perfect for carefully recording knowledge points. Gel pens are quick and convenient, with fast-drying ink that prevents smudging. Refills of varying thickness meet different writing needs, letting you write freely in homework and notebooks, presenting your thoughts with ease.Image source: Mengcheng Jinyuanda Pen Making Co., Ltd. (Booth No. H2-K02)Specialized Class Supplies: Support Creativity, Let Talent ShineIn art class, a complete set of supplies lets creativity flow freely. Watercolors blend into rich tones with a gentle stroke, painting the landscapes in your heart. Drawing pencils of varying hardness help you sketch outlines and shade with precision, adding depth to your artwork. Smooth, flat drawing boards hold paper steadily, making every creation effortless.Image source: Jiangxi painting color new material Co., LTD.(Booth No. H2-K32)In labor/handicraft class, practical tools are reliable “partners” for hands-on learning. Scissors have sharp blades with rounded safety tips, cutting paper and fabric easily while preventing accidental injuries. Compasses precisely control radii with clear scales, drawing neat circles with ease. Various rulers assist with drawing straight lines and measuring accurately, with durable, non-fading scales—making handmade projects both precise and beautiful.Image source: Yiwu Haohang Stationery Co., Ltd. (Booth No. H8-818)These stationery items may seem ordinary, but they play an important role in campus life. The Ningbo International Stationery Fair brings together all kinds of high-quality stationery, and we hope they will become your good partners for the new semester—helping you navigate the ocean of knowledge and move steadily forward on the road of growth.New semester, new beginning—bring along these thoughtful stationery items and embrace every wonderful moment on campus!

“Garlic bird, garlic bird ~ it’s not easy~.” Recently, the “Garlic Bird,” also known as the “Wuhan Peace Bird,” a little plush toy with a garlic-shaped head, has become a trending sensation both online and offline, often selling out in stores. "Garlic bird" plush toy. By Gong Liankang, Xinhua News AgencyThe plush “Garlic Bird” has a round chubby body, blushed cheeks, and an innocent, clueless expression—its cute and funny appearance is a big reason for its popularity. What’s even more clever is that when you squeeze its belly, it plays a voice recording: “Garlic bird, garlic bird, it’s not easy.” In the Wuhan dialect, “Garlic Bird” is a homophone for “never mind”, meaning “forget it” or “let it go.” When placed in the broader Mandarin-speaking context, the dialect’s charm combined with the homophonic pun makes it instantly catchy, easy to remember, and highly shareable.As a result, many people have turned this phrase into a personal catchphrase, created memes with it, or used it as background music in short videos, often as a playful way to mediate conflicts. The collective creativity of the internet also feeds back into reality. For example, when the “Garlic Bird” memes are used in conversations, they not only express emotion but also serve as unconscious marketing. Meanwhile, the iconic voice clip naturally fits short video formats, reinforcing both the content and the product in a cycle of mutual promotion.Many netizens compare “Garlic bird, garlic bird, it’s not easy” to other popular comforting phrases like “It’s the New Year, take it easy” or “Life is tough for everyone.” It resonates with young people who relate to the life philosophy of “take a step back, and the world becomes wider.” By squeezing its belly, the phrase “Garlic bird, garlic bird” seems to become life’s automatic background music—bringing a mix of humor, comfort, and healing in moments of frustration, allowing for an emotional exchange and instant psychological relief.Whether in consumption or social interaction, emotional value has become a core motivator for many young people. Regardless of whether something is niche or innovative, or of what field or type it belongs to, people seek a sense of belonging and recognition while also pursuing individuality and self-pleasure. From the stress and tension of reality, they need a controlled, harmless outlet for emotional release. The “Garlic Bird” attitude embodies this mindset while meeting consumers’ emotional needs. Once a product carries emotional meaning and creates interactive experiences in daily life—even becoming a “spokesperson” for one’s feelings—it’s easy to see how it can grow into a trend. Moreover, this fusion of dialect and emotion in the “Garlic Bird” has successfully carried the “wind of longing” beyond Wuhan, serving as a cultural and folkloric export of the city, and even inspiring many to learn about Wuhan or travel there. Looking back at the news, it’s clear that dialect-based creative products are not rare. However, many of them only rely on static printing of dialect phrases, or their meanings fail to resonate with outsiders.What makes the “Garlic Bird” different is that while it is rich in local character, it’s also a high-frequency phrase widely used by locals that directly connects with non-locals’ linguistic habits and emotional thinking. The simple interaction of squeezing its belly to hear the voice makes emotions in daily life and social interaction more tangible, allowing the product and culture to integrate into everyday living. How to sustain this kind of cultural creativity, keep it relevant in daily life, and enrich a city’s cultural promotion—the design of the “Garlic Bird” offers valuable insights.Declaration: This article comes from Guangming Daily.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

While the Olympic Art Exhibition is in full swing, the associated cultural and creative (cultural-creative) products are equally hot. According to reports, since the exhibition's opening, total sales of related products have exceeded 10 million yuan.Cultural-creative items from Pudong's museums and cultural landmarks are constantly being refreshed—some tap into the emotional resonance of art with modern audiences, while others spotlight urban culture and iconic landmarks, offering a new cultural consumption experience. These creative contents attract fans and generate strong sales across various scenarios, encouraging visitors to “take a piece of Shanghai memory home.”Blending Emotional and Artistic Value: Museum Gift Shops Innovate with Style Inside the 80-square-meter gift shop of the Pudong Art Museum, shoppers crowd in and staff rush to restock. “Since June, the Van Gogh plush dolls have been flying off the shelves. The limited-edition Olympic gift sets sell out daily,” said cashier Mr. Liu. Designer Chen Jieni shared the story behind the hit products: “The plush toy went through three iterations. We initially used short plush, but were inspired by Van Gogh’s struggles with mental illness, and how today’s youth often feel stressed out, so we changed it to curly plush to enhance emotional resonance and improve the tactile feel.” The matching plush chair is inspired by The Bedroom in Arles. “Instead of just printing paintings on products, we extract design elements from the artwork, allowing customers to interact and combine items creatively,” she explained.According to the museum, over 200 cultural-creative items were launched for the Olympic Art Exhibition, generating over 10 million yuan in sales. Design teams brainstormed months in advance and collaborated with external creators and brands. Paris-based illustrator Mengmeng Sun illustrated everyday life in Paris, while “Cat's Sky City” co-developed a color palette fridge magnet. A canvas tote bag inspired by The Bedroom in Arles and co-branded with Manner Café became a hit with online fans. To inject more creative ideas into their cultural-creative line, the museum also launched a “Curator Recommender” program this year, with over 20 individuals—including two offering original product design ideas—joining the initiative.Visitors to museums often favor cultural-creative products that reflect unique artistic and cultural values. For instance, the “Cambridge University: Magical Nature” exhibition at the East Building of the Shanghai Library became a social media sensation for its British aesthetic. Co-curator Hao Li shared that some exclusive items aren’t even available at Cambridge itself—like the Turing Bear T-shirt. “Turing used to practice speeches with his bear, Porgy, so the bear represents companionship and courage.” Hao emphasized their aim is to use the exhibition as a springboard to tell emotional stories through products, creating a deep resonance with visitors.Cultural Communication & City Memory: Landmarks Redefine SouvenirsUnlike museums that draw inspiration from rich art exhibitions, some long-established cultural landmarks take a different approach. They fuse architecture, urban culture, and tourism experiences to develop highly distinctive products.At the Oriental Pearl Tower souvenir shop, a 468ml “building height” bottled water and a matching tower-shaped ice cream top the sales chart. Assistant Manager Li Linyi explained: “We turned the 468-meter height of the tower into a symbolic volume of water, making it a ‘portable memory of the city.’ The ice cream doubles as a photo prop.” At the Tower Time boutique watch store, the landmark motif gets a luxury upgrade. German tourist Annika and her boyfriend chose a mother-of-pearl women’s watch. “The pearl sheen echoes the 'Pearl' in the tower’s name. The back of the watch even includes its geographic coordinates—wearing it brings back memories of Shanghai,” she said. Sales staff recalled a foreign tour group once bought over 100 watches as souvenirs—turning landmark memories into ticking timepieces.Blending Shanghai’s cultural elements with today’s trends gives these heritage landmarks new vitality. Plush Oriental Pearl dolls and contrast-colored tumblers are prominently displayed. “These soft and cute designs break the rigid impression of the Pearl Tower and align with young people’s aesthetics,” Li said. Nearby, a newly launched blind box series creatively integrates intangible cultural heritage, qipaos, and xiaolongbao into the tower’s shape—presenting local culture through trendy collectibles.Taking cultural creation to the next level, the Oriental Pearl Tower has partnered with time-honored Shanghai brands and emerging labels to form synergistic collaborations. Highlights include the pearl-carved capsule by Lei Yun Shang, oriental-scented hand cream by Qingzhi, and blue-and-white porcelain toothpaste by Maxam. Behind these co-branded successes are creative reinterpretations of landmark elements and city symbols, fusing traditional craftsmanship with iconic architecture. “Our cultural-creative team actively seeks new partners to bring more Shanghai-centric products to life—so visitors can truly bring a piece of the city home,” said Li. The iconic landmark is evolving from a site of cultural display to a platform of cultural innovation, injecting new life into Shanghai’s urban branding.Strengthening Synergies: Building a Holistic Cultural-Creative Industry ChainThe development of the cultural-creative industry can't rely solely on individual institutions. Pudong is promoting both policy and ecosystem-driven growth. Recently, 12 museums signed contracts with 12 renowned designers to join Pudong’s cultural-creative product upgrade plan, aiming to co-develop high-quality products.Pudong holds three key levers: IP development, industry integration, and commercialization. It offers a comprehensive policy package including general, special, and park-specific support. This spans film, digital creativity, and art trade, and provides funding for IP development and settlement of related businesses in cultural parks. New business models such as cultural trade, IP derivatives, and immersive experiences are encouraged to cluster in Zhangjiang and resort zones, with operating subsidies available. It also continues to fund high-quality projects with special cultural funds, while offering policy support in talent recruitment, IP protection, and legal services.In 2024, Yuewen’s derivative product GMV exceeded 500 million yuan for the first time, with card collectibles alone accounting for 200 million yuan. Titles such as The King’s Avatar, Joy of Life, and Under One Person set new sales records. Yuewen is expanding its direct sales channels with over 10 live-streaming studios and 8 flagship stores, supplemented by its presence on Tmall, Taobao, and more than 3,000 online resellers and 6,000 offline retailers—creating a comprehensive omni-channel strategy. The company also secured exclusive rights to distribute Nezha 2 merchandise from FunCrazy. Notably, its high-end collectible cards co-launched with Hitcard for Joy of Life generated 20 million yuan in GMV even before the release of Season 2—making it the most successful drama-themed collectible card line in history. Hitcard is a brand under Shanghai Qixing Network Technology Co., registered in Pudong.As a key part of the industrial ecosystem, platforms also play a major role. The IP Operation Center under Shanghai Free Trade Zone Cultural Investment integrates top-tier cultural and artistic resources—including the National Museum of China and Wu Changshuo’s works—into a full-service chain of IP discovery, product development, channel operation, and tourism integration. Sales have surpassed 500 million yuan. According to product head Wu Di, their team covers IP planning, product design, supply chain management, and sales operations. They’ve developed over 50 product lines and built a responsive supply chain across the Yangtze River Delta and beyond. Their presence spans major e-commerce platforms and dozens of scenic and cultural venues—establishing a comprehensive retail matrix. “Our goal is to become a one-stop cultural and tourism creative platform integrating product development, channel management, IP operations, and cultural tourism services,” said Wu Di.Declaration: This article comes from The Paper.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

On July 30, the 2025 JD.com AI Toy Conference was held in Shenzhen, bringing together more than 600 toy and smart hardware manufacturers to discuss the creation of blockbuster AI toys.At the event, JD's embodied intelligence platform "JoyInside" was officially unveiled. It offers interactive capabilities for toy and robot brands to engage directly with consumers and is now open for free access for a limited time, providing end-to-end technical solutions. Dozens of major brands have already partnered with the platform, including Fuzozo (known as the “AI version of Labubu”), educational robot brands such as Huohuo Rabbit, Dr. Luka, Yuan Luobo, and Heart Planet.“We are exploring how JoyInside can empower different hardware forms such as robots, robot dogs, and toys, making intelligent and emotionally engaging interactions ubiquitous,” said He Xiaodong, Senior Vice President of JD Group and Deputy Director of JD Exploration Research Institute. End-to-End AI Solutions: Giving Toys a “Warm Soul”With the acceleration of embodied intelligence, AI toys are expected to become one of the fastest-growing goldmine categories. According to the AI Toy Industry White Paper jointly released by JD Supermarket and the Shenzhen Toy Association, the Chinese AI toy market is projected to surpass 10 billion RMB by 2030, with an annual growth rate of over 70%. However, many brands, while good at product design and market insight, lack AI technical capabilities.JoyInside provides AI toys and robots with a "warm soul" using JD’s decade-long experience in intelligent interactions across customer service, digital humans, and virtual shopping assistants. It offers four key advantages: emotionally intelligent conversation, multi-scenario adaptability, diverse character selection, and consistent behavior and language — helping brands rapidly create AI pets, toys, and companions that consumers are eager to buy.JoyInside is a full-stack solution, covering JD Cloud’s intelligent computing infrastructure, large models and multimodal capabilities, game interaction, voice optimization, content ecosystem, and an iterative interaction strategy system. Multimodal Capabilities Empower Rapid IntegrationAt the core, the JoyAI large model integrates RAG (retrieval-augmented generation), TTS (text-to-speech), ASR (automatic speech recognition), and LLM (large language models), offering ready-to-use, plug-and-play capabilities.In game interaction, JoyInside supports long-term memory, proactive interaction, and provides age-specific solutions for soothing 0-2 year-olds, early education for 3-6 year-olds, and engaging conversations for tweens.In voice optimization, a hybrid edge-cloud system reduces background noise and applies transfer learning on adult-child conversations, enabling the system to “understand” children's speech and generate emotional voice tones for all ages.In content, JoyInside leverages songs, picture books, educational stories, and more to combine fun and learning through character interaction. It also features a “research-evaluation-iteration” feedback loop to continuously evolve interaction strategies.JD JoyInside enables brands to focus on product development while JD provides the complete AI infrastructure — a true synergy of strengths. Dozens of Leading Brands Onboarded, 20 “Mega Hits” in the MakingDozens of top AI toy and robot brands have already adopted JoyInside, including Fuzozo, Huohuo Rabbit, Yuan Luobo, Heart Planet, and tech brands like YunDeep and ZQ Tech.At the conference, JD announced strategic partnerships with Huohuo Rabbit, Fuzozo, Yunxigu, Niutingting, and Wenquxing, working closely on technology, content, sales, and marketing to thrive in the AI era. These partners have already launched bestselling products. Fuzozo, for example, sold out 3,000 units during its JD 618 pre-sale, ranking first in the "AI fashion accessory" category. Users chat with Fuzozo for 1–2 hours daily, with impressive token consumption. Yuan Luobo's AI chess-playing robot makes learning fun, with a 148% increase in interaction rounds. Heart Planet has become a trusted companion for children's growth, with a 50% increase in average user conversation time.To help more brands ride the AI wave, JD is offering limited-time free access to JoyInside. For brand partners, JD Retail has opened its valuable product development and operational ecosystem, sharing its “blockbuster experience” across the industry. This includes:“Understanding users in seconds” through big data,“Understanding products in seconds” through market analysis of niche categories,“Igniting sales in seconds” through 1-on-1 guidance and billion-level traffic support.JD Retail is confident in the future of AI toys and plans to create 20 “ten-million sales” new products and 100 “million-level” items. JD is becoming the next incubator for AI hits, bringing intelligent interaction to more terminals and making AI truly everywhere.JD and JD Exploration Research Institute are also set to unveil more innovations at the 2025 World Robot Conference (WRC) on August 8 — an event to watch.Declaration: This article comes from Shenzhen News Network.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

Recently, two cultural and creative products based on the Qing Dynasty’s Yongzheng Famille-Rose Bat-and-Peach Vase, housed in the Shanghai Museum, have sparked a heated online debate.It began when a netizen claimed to have purchased a refrigerator magnet shaped like the vase at the cultural gift shop of the museum's East Wing. The magnet's "lighting function" and "hole in the base" were interpreted as an uncomfortable echo of the vase’s history when it was overseas — reportedly filled with dog feces and soil and repurposed as a lamp base. This prompted others to dig up images of a lamp designed using the same vase motif, with one commenter noting, “It’s been turned into a lamp again — the one thing it never wanted to be.” The debate quickly escalated into polarized opinions. One side accused the designers of disrespecting history and mocking national trauma. The other side felt people were overreacting, noting that turning the vase into a lamp could also be seen as an appreciation of its beauty and functionality.Is the vase's overseas journey necessarily a story of humiliation? Does its use as a lamp indicate disrespect? And why did the museum decide to make it light up in the first place? A journalist from Wenbo Headlines interviewed Shanghai Museum staff and cultural relics experts to explore these three key questions.Q1: Is the Vase’s Overseas Journey a Humiliation?The Bat-and-Peach Vase is currently on display in a central case in the ceramics gallery on the second floor of the museum's East Wing. With its long neck, rounded shoulders, full peach motifs, and flying bats symbolizing good fortune, the vase represents the pinnacle of Qing-era Famille-Rose porcelain craftsmanship. According to Zhang Dong, a researcher at the museum's conservation department, the vase was purchased at auction in 2002 by Hong Kong collector Ms. Cheung Wing Chun for HKD 41.5 million and promptly donated to the Shanghai Museum. Before that, it had been in the possession of the family of Ogden Reid, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel. How the vase left the Forbidden City and entered that family's hands remains a mystery. Because it was imperial porcelain from the Qing court, many netizens associated it with China’s era of national humiliation. However, researcher Chen Jie from the ceramics department noted that imperial porcelain left the Qing palace through many channels, including diplomatic gifts. Historical records show that Emperor Qianlong exchanged gifts with the British Macartney mission. Even during the Yongzheng reign, similar cultural exchanges took place.Q2: Does Using the Vase as a Lamp Mean Disrespect?Another controversy concerns how the vase was used as a lamp base during its 40-plus years in the Reid family's collection. According to family accounts, they considered drilling a hole for wiring but ultimately decided against it to avoid damaging the vase. To stabilize the piece — which had an unstable, olive-shaped body — they filled it with sand and newspaper. Because the family also had dogs, some netizens assumed the sand contained dog feces and saw this as a grave insult.Peng Tao, head of the ceramics department at Shanghai Museum, responded: “The family clearly thought the vase was beautiful. It was kept in their New York home — there’s no evidence it was filled with dog feces.” He added that it's common in the history of East-West cultural exchange for foreign collectors to repurpose or embellish Chinese porcelain. Experts confirmed the vase was undamaged upon arrival at the museum.Professor Liu Zhaohui from Fudan University explained that adapting Chinese porcelain for new uses has long been a global tradition. In the Middle East, Chinese porcelain was inlaid with gems and treated as treasure. In Europe, pieces were adapted to suit Western tastes and needs — for example, with metal fittings for durability and style. Similarly, the Qing court often modified Western enamelware or Japanese lacquerware to suit imperial preferences.Q3: Why Was the Creative Product Designed to Light Up?"Out of all the vases, why did the Bat-and-Peach Vase need to light up?" asked many online. A Shanghai Museum spokesperson explained that since the vase entered the collection, over 40 different creative products have been designed based on it — including scarves, notebooks, and thermos bottles. The table lamp version has been sold in the museum's gift shop for years. The light-up refrigerator magnet is a recent product, launched in response to the growing popularity of novelty magnets.“This year, light-up, glitter, and spinning magnets have been top sellers. We developed nearly 100 designs based on artifacts — the Bat-and-Peach magnet is just one of them. The light enhances the ceramic’s translucency and luster,” the spokesperson said.The museum emphasized that all creative product designs are made with historical respect and that they consulted the donor before releasing any items. They also noticed that many accounts criticizing the product were newly registered, repeatedly mentioned a certain video game, and used inflammatory language to provoke conflict and gain traffic. Some even attempted to redirect attention to sell their own related merchandise.Shanghai Museum reaffirmed its commitment to the philosophy of "art in life, life as art." They will continue listening to public feedback and innovating to offer high-quality cultural products for modern lifestyles. Is Developing Cultural Products Based on Artifacts Really “Disrespecting History”?It’s widely acknowledged that modern Chinese history is marked by national trauma. Many of the country's heritage sites and relics were once desecrated. Countless cultural treasures were lost overseas. But does that mean people today should avoid visiting the Great Wall or the Forbidden City because of their painful past?Remembering history should inspire national strength, not burden the present with emotional shackles. Arguing that cultural relics cannot be appreciated, modified, or creatively reused because of their tragic past is a form of rhetorical coercion disguised as respect.Each repatriated relic has a dramatic story. Many, such as Autumn Letter, Bo Yuan Tie, Five Oxen Scroll by Han Huang, or the iconic Zodiac animal heads from the Old Summer Palace, have inspired new cultural products. These creations help bring ancient artifacts into contemporary life and are a key part of the national effort to “bring relics to life.”The return of cultural relics also reflects China’s growing international influence. In recent years, the U.S. has returned 38 artifacts; the Western Zhou Feng Xing Shu Gui was recovered; seven columns from Yuanmingyuan were brought home. Since the 18th National Congress, 48 batches totaling 2,113 artifacts have returned to China.These items represent more than sorrow — they are symbols of national revival. Rather than trapping them in a narrow, emotional narrative, we should see their return as a testament to China's resilience and rising global stature.In today’s internet landscape, sensationalism, emotional rhetoric, and polarization are common. Basic facts can be distorted. Just because a relic becomes a light-up magnet doesn’t mean it’s being disrespected. If we resist extremism, extremism won’t dominate the discourse. If we don’t pander to traffic, reason won’t need to tread so lightly.Let’s protect our cultural heritage together — not divide ourselves in its name.Declaration: This article comes from CCTV.com.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

"Toys are one of the most important carriers of AI technology.In Guangdong, Dongguan Chaojiao, Chenghai toys and other well-known industrial clusters are accelerating the embrace of artificial intelligence."Recently, the Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology predicted that in the future, with the support of Guangdong's advantages in electronic information and AI industrialization and application, new tracks such as "AI+traditional toys", "AI+popular toys" and AI companion robots can expand Guangdong's toy industry by more than100 billion yuan of incremental output value, the total output value of all toys is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan.Guangdong aims at 100 billion yuan output value incrementGuangdong is the country's largest toy production and export base.According to Chen Jie, a member of the Party Group of Guangdong Industry and Information Technology Department, in 2024, Guangdong's toy manufacturing industry achieved 76.6 billion yuan of industrial revenue, an increase of 8.3%; Guangdong's toy exports of 105.3 billion yuan, accounting for 37% of the national toy exports, and has formed the whole industry chain rapid response mode, brand ownership, IP authorization, patent authorization are the first in the country.As the global toy industry develops in the direction of intelligence and personalization, AI-enabled toys have become a new hot market.South China University of Technology Future Technology Institute Professor Liu Siyuan introduction, China's toy industry market is expected to exceed 160 billion yuan this year, while the penetration rate of intelligent toys increased significantly, the use of AI technology transformation has been a major trend in the toy industry.The reporter was informed that the current "AI + toys" industry chain upstream and downstream enterprises showed a booming trend.In the upstream, Aliyun, Beike Ruixing and visual source electronics, etc., is accelerating the launch of personalized products and technical solutions suitable for the toy industry.In the downstream, traditional toy companies such as Aofei Entertainment and Qunyu Interactive are also actively transforming and launching a number of new AI toy products with significantly higher added value.Among them, Dongguan Wise used AI to optimize the production process and successfully undertook over 100 million yuan of expedited orders for Nezha derivatives.Chen Jie said, "In the future, under the support of Guangdong's advantages in electronic information and AI industrialization and application, AI+ traditional toys, AI+ trendy toys, AI accompanied by robots, and other new tracks can expand the Guangdong toy industry to more than 100 billion yuan of incremental output value, and the scale of all toys total output value is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan."Accelerate the promotion of the Guangdong artificial intelligence-enabled toy industry action programme landing"We also found that there are problems such as insufficient enterprise innovation ability, single product function, lack of relevant regulations, lagging standards and shortage of composite talents, especially the fit between AI technology and the toy industry."Chen Jie said that it will accelerate the study and introduction of Guangdong Province to promote AI-enabled toy industry action plan, cultivate the construction of Dongguan, Shantou and other key AI toy industry clusters, and create benchmark AI toy enterprises.At the same time, Guangdong is also planning to establish a provincial human-computer interaction symbiosis intelligent manufacturing (toys) innovation centre, accelerating the AI technology empowered toys "research, production, supply, marketing and service" chain, to enhance the effective supply and service.In addition, it will also establish the Guangdong AI toy standard system, and promote it to take the lead in becoming a national standard.In recent years, Dongguan has promoted the deep integration of AI and the toy industry through the introduction of special policies and the organization of the China International Animation Expo.According to statistics, the output value of Dongguan's above-scale toy manufacturing industry in January-May 2025 exceeded 10 billion yuan, and exports have grown significantly.Dongguan has formed a tide play industry cluster with Shipai, Chashan, Qingxi, Changan, Changping and other towns and streets as the key areas, of which the Shipai trend toy industry cluster was recognized as the provincial small and medium-sized enterprise characteristics of industrial clusters, and is declaring the national level cluster.Dongguan has more than 4,000 toy manufacturers and nearly 1,500 upstream and downstream supporting enterprises, and is the country's largest toy export base, with a quarter of the world's animation derivatives produced in Dongguan, and nearly 85 per cent of China's trendy toys produced in Dongguan.Declaration: This article comes from the Shanghai Securities News-China Stock Net.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

Recently, the Luoyang Museum of the Spring and Autumn copper when Lu because of the appearance and the current popular fashion game "LABUBU" similar to the screen of social media.Previously, Nanchong City Museum in Sichuan Province, the Han Dynasty terracotta figurines also because of the face of "Ultraman" accidentally became popular.The netizens play terrier constantly at the comment area, from "the original Han Dynasty people also believe that the light" to "this is the Eastern Zhou, you that is last week's", a span of a thousand years of "emoticon dialogue" so in the museum lively staged.A "emoji dialogue" spanning over a thousand years is thus lively staged in the museum.Of course, this is not the first time because of the "cultural relics face pop culture" triggered by the craze.From the Sanxingdui bronze mask and "Zhu Geliang" face, to the Shanxi Museum of "cute owl" was made into emoticons, these accidental "hit the face of the cultural relics", aroused by the public of the museum's sense of intimacy.Museum's sense of intimacy.This also reminds us that the fun of museum artifacts and communication power, never more than "authoritative explanation" or "heavy history", it is more likely to be hidden in that between a smile.Netizens find it interesting, not really think that "Ultraman crosses over", but because in the visual image information is very rich, emoticon culture is highly developed, the public's cultural consumption habits have quietly changed.In the fragmented communication, the reason why a cultural relic can attract attention, often because it and some kind of popular cultural symbols have an unexpected collision.This kind of "collision" provokes a kind of humour and affinity that transcends time and space.When the cultural relics are no longer a cold exhibit, but become familiar to the public, people's perception of it is no longer unfamiliar and awe, but "participation" or even "play terrier" re-creation.This is a unique ability of young people to recreate culture: to create a link between history and popularity, and to find resonance between authority and fun. From the perspective of these two cases, the paths of the network buzz they triggered are amazingly consistent: a netizen stumbled upon the photo - social media platforms published - netizens watched and teased - official museums responded to the second dissemination of the warmth.This path shows that the first driving force of modern heritage dissemination is more and more inclined to the "netizen discovery", and no longer the official museum-led publicity.More importantly, cultural relics "face collision terrier" lowers the threshold of public understanding of cultural relics, the original highly professional cultural relics can be chatting, can be shared.A 2000-year-old copper danglu, if only introduced as "one of the very important ancient horse ornaments", visitors may just nod blankly, but once it is said to be "cultural relics version of LABUBU", immediately has the space for discussion.This is exactly the broken circle communication strategy that museums have repeatedly explored in recent years - breaking down the thick historical barriers in a relaxed way.Faced with the enthusiasm of netizens, Luoyang Culture and Tourism was the first to post, "In addition to LABUBU, Luoyang has these 'conspicuous packages'!"Nanchong City Museum also graciously admitted that the terracotta figurines "are indeed quite similar", and did not reject people with a serious academic posture.This kind of openness, humour, inclusive attitude, but also museums to promote their own premise.It can be seen that today's museums are not just a place for displaying cultural relics, but also a public space for carrying public emotions.When the younger generation is accustomed to consuming information through "playing with stems" and "contrasts", the museum's response has also shifted from "knowledge" to "resonance".Further thinking is that in the future, can museums take the initiative to explore such "face collision artifacts" and turn the "conspicuous packet" type of artifacts into IP-based content?Is it possible to make a clear historical background behind each "Cute"?Fun and education go hand in hand, so that young people can quickly establish a vivid connection with history.People see "Ultraman" and "LABUBU" in cultural relics, in fact, is in the current familiar cultural language, dialogue with the past, when the "museum hit the face of the terrier" frequently burst into flames, it is not that history has become "frivolous", it is that history has become "frivolous".When the "museum face hit terrier" frequently burst into flames, not history has become "frivolous", but in the developed mobile Internet, the public has found a new way of the same frequency with the cultural relics.Declaration: This article comes from Guangming Daily. If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.

Outside the POP Mart shop in Los Angeles, young people lined up for hours in the 38°C heat just to "get their hands on Labubu"; a 131cm-high mint-coloured, first-generation Labubu sculpture was sold for 1.08 million yuan at the Forever Spring Auction 2025; and a research report released by J.P. Morgan said that Labubu was sold for 1.8 million yuan in May.Search heat has exceeded Hello Kitty ...... When LABUBU to "ugly cute" posture swept the global tide of the toy market, this small monster with nine sharp teeth, has a crooked smile, is to break the circle of the trend of reconstruction of the stationery industry ecology.(Photo courtesy of Xinhua News Agency)In recent years, the rise of national trends and the wave of emotional consumption have gone hand in hand, from "Ne Zha 2" topping the global box office, to "Black Myth: Wukong" triggering the gaming world, the commercial value of cultural symbols has been redefined."Labubu breaks the definition of traditional cute pet, combines wild teeth with healing plush, meets the dual needs of Generation Z for individuality and warmth, builds an IP ecology covering online and offline, and allows a toy image to grow into a cultural symbol.Labubu is not only a landmark case of the rise of China's hip toy industry, but also a microcosm of the transformation of Made in China to Created in China.Once upon a time, China was the foundry of Disney and Marvel toys, but now Labubu has taken the world by storm and achieved a comeback, allowing the super IP track to have the figure of Chinese brands.According to the International Licensing Industry Association, China will overtake Germany to become the world's fourth largest IP retail market in 2023, with annual IP retail sales approaching 100 billion yuan. As consumer demand for cultural value and emotional experience climbs, the cross-border fusion of stationery and hip-hop is becoming a new direction for the industry.The aesthetic elements in traditional culture, the ecological thinking of IP operation, and the narrative logic of globalisation all provide rich inspiration for stationery design.At this year's Ningbo International Stationery Fair, the figure of trendy stationery has become more and more eye-catching, and many exhibitors have broken the traditional boundary of "stationery" and expanded their product lines to the fields of cultural creation, trendy play and emotional healing, attracting a new generation with the design concept of "emotional value pulling full"In the face of the current rise of national trend and emotional consumption prevalent, many stationery companies deeply feel that having their own IP is like holding a key to open the new door to the market, they are no longer satisfied with simply co-branding with popular IP, choose to create their own cultural symbols.These stationery products with independent IP, not only in the design of ingenuity, but also in the cultural connotation of the depth of excavation.They are no longer just tools for writing and recording, but also carriers of cultural values and emotional support.Through the creation of independent IP, stationery companies have given more added value to their products to meet the double demand of consumers for cultural value and emotional experience.The explosion of LABUBU is not only the victory of an IP, but also the epitome of the upgrading of the cultural and creative industry.When stationery companies learn to impress people with emotional value, link the world with cultural narratives, and break the boundaries with innovative designs, the trendy stationery placed at the Ningbo International Stationery Fair may be breeding the next phenomenal hit.

In recent years, China's trendy toy brands, represented by Pop Mart and TOP TOY, are accelerating their sail to the sea, reporting successes in the Southeast Asian market, and actively laying out the European and American markets with great potential.Huatai Securities has released a series of new consumer research reports to analyse this phenomenon in depth, believing that China's trendy toy industry is ushering in a "golden age" of global expansion and is expected to give birth to world-class toy brands thanks to the comprehensive upgrading of its product power, design aesthetics, supply chain efficiency and comprehensive IP operation capability.Overseas toy market is vast, emerging brands quickly seize market shareAccording to Frost & Sullivan, the global toy market size of about 773.1 billion yuan in 2023, is expected to 2024-28 years CAGR of about 5.1%, of which the collection of toys category rapid penetration, in China, the United States, Western Europe in 2009-23, the share of the collection of related categories were raised 19, 11, 12 pct.Category structure changes, LEGO, MGA Entertainment, Jazwares and other collectible toy companies continue to increase the share, and Pop Mart has category innovation, "social currency" attribute, the commonality of emotional consumption, reflecting the new collectible toys to subvert the industry has become a global trend.In recent years, the tide of national products continue to innovate, blind box, block people, set of cards and other emerging categories of rapid rise, driving the industry high boom growth, the domestic head of the brand in the quality of the product, design aesthetics, cost-effective and so on, have global competitiveness, and gradually from the cost-effective seafaring towards the output of new categories.Global market is wide open and new forces are on the riseThe report points out that the global toy market has huge space, with a size of about RMB 773.1 billion in 2023, and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 5.1% is expected between 2024 and 2028.Among them, the category of collectible toys is rapidly penetrating globally, with the share of collection-related categories in major markets such as China, the United States and Western Europe rising by 19, 11 and 12 percentage points respectively between 2009 and 2023.In this structural change, LEGO, MGA Entertainment (L.O.L Surprise Dolls), Jazwares and other companies focusing on collectible toys continue to increase their share of the market, while Chinese brands such as Pop Mart are becoming an important part of the global emerging force by virtue of their category innovation, "social currency" attributes and emotional consumption value.According to Huatai Securities, China's trendy toy market has been growing steadily.According to Huatai Securities, the continued innovation of China's leading fashion toy companies in new categories such as blind boxes, building blocks, and collectible cards has driven the industry's high growth.Their product quality, design aesthetics and price-performance ratio have become globally competitive, and their overseas route is upgrading from the "price-performance ratio" advantage in the early days to "exporting new categories and new ways of playing" to the world."People, goods and field" change, the national goods "bend the road to overtake"A report by Huatai Securities focuses on the three key change factors that drive the success of China's trendy toys going overseas - "people, goods and field":Change of customer base: from children to universal collection.The toy consumer group has expanded significantly, and adults have become an important increment. 2022, the United States and Europe, the proportion of toy consumption of people over 12 years of age reached 25% and 29% respectively, and the growth rate continues to outperform the broader market.Aesthetic preferences are more trendy and personalized.The global cultural phenomenon of "Kidult" (children and adults) has injected strong impetus into the toy collection market.Changes in IP and marketing: the rise of image IP and the emergence of social media as a core position.The social media and short-video consumption of entertainment has put pressure on the influence of "story IPs" that rely on long content narratives, while "image IPs" (such as Pop Mart's Labubu and Molly), which rely on unique visual designs that strike a chord in people's hearts, have seen an outburst.The "social currency" attribute that comes with trendy toys is highly compatible with social media, and it quickly breaks the circle through KOL recommendation, UGC content (user-generated content) and viral dissemination.This is exemplified by the fact that Pop Mart's single-day sales on TikTok's U.S. website exceeded US$160,000, and its single-session GMV was nearly US$290,000, which is an example of the success of Pop Mart.The change of channels: online breakthrough, live e-commerce empowerment.The epidemic has accelerated the process of online toy consumption, helping Chinese brands bypass the monopoly of traditional toy giants on offline channels (such as Toys R Us).Southeast Asia, as one of the fastest growing markets in the world in terms of e-commerce penetration, the live-streaming with goods model is highly compatible with the strong display and interactive play of hip toys.Pop Mart recorded a single GMV of over $100,000 through live streaming on TikTok Thailand.In the North American market, TikTok Shop has also become an important platform for Gen Z and Millennials to reach out to and purchase trendy toys.Regional markets: Southeast Asia rides the wave, Europe and the United States have a bright outlookHuatai Securities also pointed out in the report that after years of development, Chinese tide game enterprises have accumulated rich experience in product matrix covering a wide range of age groups, IP operation and marketing, online and offline omni-channel layout, etc., and are able to keenly capture and make full use of the profound changes in the global "people, goods, and field" to realise the "curved road to overtake".The report has made an analysis of the key overseas regions.The report gives an outlook on key overseas regions:South-East Asia: a region with great potential.The region has a young population structure (the population aged 15-34 is equivalent to 61% of China), strong entertainment consumption concepts, and a high degree of acceptance of East Asian trend culture.Chinese brands have successfully ignited market fever through localisation strategies such as celebrity cooperation, live e-commerce and high-quality shops (e.g., Pop Mart and 52TOYS are rapidly opening shops in Thailand), and are replicating and expanding from Thailand to Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries.The rapid growth of local salaries and the obvious trend of consumption upgrading provide continuous impetus for the penetration of trendy games.Europe and the United States: strong consumption power, promising.North America (per capita consumption of toys is 12.1 times that of China) and Europe (4.6 times) have strong consumer power, high acceptance of multiculturalism, and relatively small cultural barriers in the field of trendy toys.U.S. consumers have a significant preference for collectible toys (61% of consumers buy collectibles) and high price acceptance.Chinese brands' local fan base is growing rapidly, with frequent circle-breaking events.The large number of mid-to-high-end shopping malls in the US (A-grade malls with a ping-efficiency of around 59,000 yuan per square metre) offers a wide range of offline channels to expand.Although we need to pay attention to the risk of trade friction, but the report believes that the head of the enterprise by virtue of overseas production capacity layout and high product premium ability, with strong anti-risk resilience.Core advantage: from "designer dividend" to "cultural industry" systemThe report emphasizes that the underlying support for China's fashionable games going overseas is the upgrading of China's manufacturing industry's "cultural industry" system:Design and R&D strength jumped: thanks to the huge domestic "designer dividend" (the number of art graduates far exceeds that of the United States), the head of the tide of the toy enterprise R & D team scale (such as Pop Mart, the relevant team of MINISO more than 1,000 people), and sustained investment to promote product innovation, such as Pop Mart Labubu Vinyl Plush series in Europe and the United States triggered a craze, the product price has been compared with the international price of the toy, and the product price has been compared with the international market.For example, Pop Mart Labubu Vinyl Plush series has caused a craze in Europe and the United States, and the selling price of the products has been on a par with international brands or even slightly higher, but won the market by virtue of better design and quality.Advantage of supply chain integration: China's perfect toy manufacturing industry chain (such as Dongguan, Shantou cluster) for the integration of technology innovation (such as vinyl plush, quicksand acrylic) provides a strong foundation.General-purpose parts platforms like Goddes Precision, through the integration of orders to enhance the scale effect and technical precision (close to the level of Lego), help the whole industry upgrade.IP ecology and fan operation: China's leading fashion game has evolved from simply selling "goods" to building a comprehensive ecosystem that includes IP operation, community interaction (e.g., unboxing, DIY, baby-swapping), themed shop experience, flash mob activities, tournaments (e.g., Card Game's Heroes Duel), content incubation (e.g., animated shorts), and even crossover co-branding, with the ability to establish a deep emotional connection with global fans.It has the ability to establish a deep emotional connection with global fans.Investment Advice and Risk WarningHuatai Securities is optimistic about China's leading companies in hip games, whether through tapping the resources of original artists around the world to create their own IPs or leveraging famous copyright IPs to "borrow the ship to go to sea", both of which have a broad space for development.With their IP operation foundation and profound layout of the whole value chain including R&D, production, marketing and channels, the leading companies are expected to continue to seize the global market share.Declaration: This article comes from CaiLianPress.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.