Across China: Chinese museum offers visitors immersive journey into ancient life

Visitors select cultural products at the museum park of Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, Aug. 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Ge)
CHANGSHA, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — A naked-eye 3D screen brings to life elements from Mawangdui, a renowned ancient Chinese tomb. Visitors are captivated as civet cats with intricate fur and bright eyes leap out, finely crafted lacquerware showcases the artistry of ancient craftsmen, and various delicacies from the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-25 AD) are vividly recreated through animation.
This immersive experience is part of the newly unveiled “museum park” at central China’s Hunan Museum in Hunan Province. The museum, famous for housing Lady Xin Zhui, a 2,200-year-old mummified aristocrat, now presents over 26,000 cultural relics from China’s Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).
“The term ‘museum park’ was chosen to emphasize the openness of this space, bringing cultural relics closer to visitors,” said Sun Jianqin, the project manager. According to Sun, “openness” also signifies deeper collaboration and integration between various industries and creative forces with the heritage of Mawangdui.
A new trend is emerging where, after exploring the exhibits, visitors head upstairs to dine, shop, and immerse themselves in “Han-style life.” Visitors could enjoy desserts in cups inspired by unearthed lacquerware in Mawangdui, sample steamed Han Dynasty delicacies, and select souvenirs infused with Western Han elements, all providing a glimpse into life over 2,000 years ago.
“We aim to offer a fresh cultural consumption experience that allows visitors to fully immerse themselves in the allure of Han Dynasty life,” said Sun.
The museum park features five distinct dining brands, each dedicated to the Han Dynasty or Hunan’s local culture, as well as a new cultural and creative retail space called the “Han Life Museum Collection.”
“The clerk informed me that steamed dishes were a part of Hunan cuisine during the Western Han Dynasty. The dishes I enjoyed today were modern innovations, inspired by the recipes unearthed at Mawangdui, which I found particularly fascinating,” said a tourist from Xi’an.
In the “Han Life Museum Collection,” visitors are drawn to an array of creative cultural products that capture the essence of Han Dynasty life. These include prints by young artists featuring elements from cultural relics, Hunan “spicy strips” shaped like lacquer plates, and ancient incense threads crafted according to Mawangdui’s health prescriptions.
Cao Xinyu, the product manager of the “Han Life Museum Collection,” said that they have categorized the cultural relics unearthed at Mawangdui into seven dimensions: clothing, food, housing, transportation, utilities, art and entertainment. After selecting relevant elements, they collaborate with creative teams to develop products that closely connect with people’s daily lives. ■

A naked-eye 3D screen is seen at the museum park of Hunan Museum in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, Aug. 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhang Ge)