Forbidden City souvenirs in high demand at Beijing pop-up shop

Souvenirs from the Palace Museum, more commonly known as the Forbidden City, are in high demand at a pop-up shop in Beijing, with most products sold out during the first weekend after its opening, reports Chinanews.com.

Forbidden City souvenirs are for sale at a Palace Museum pop-up shop in Sanlitun in Beijing. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The pop-up shop opened in Sanlitun on February 2 as part of the museum's Chinese New Year celebrations. Different cultural events will be held at the shop each day until it closes on March 4.

Adhesive tapes with patterns from cultural relics at the Palace Museum are for sale at a pop-up shop in Sanlitun in Beijing. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Products for sale include calendars, adhesive tapes, jigsaw puzzles, mugs, and jewelry with designs from the museum's collections. Traditional Chinese snacks are also on sale.

Jigsaw puzzles featuring The Catalog of Marine Creatures, a cultural relic housed in the Palace Museum that contains pictures of more than 300 types of deep sea creatures, are for sale at a pop-up shop for Forbidden City souvenirs. The catalog was drawn by Qing-dynasty painter Nie Huang. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Traditional Chinese snacks are for sale at a pop-up shop featuring Forbidden City souvenirs in Sanlitun in Beijing. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The shop has been a popular attraction since it opened last week, especially among young people. The products have become popular gifts for the upcoming Chinese New Year.

Customers crowd into a pop-up shop featuring Forbidden City souvenirs in Sanlitun in Beijing. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Chen Gang, an employee working for the Palace Museum's snack brand, said the pop-up shop saw some 4,000 customers per day during its first weekend. "Most products were soon sold out, and we had to urgently restock them on Monday," said Chen.

Pop-up shop decorations resemble patterns on the walls and tiles of the Forbidden City. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

This is the first time that the museum has opened a pop-up shop. Chen said they chose the Sanlitun area in Beijing because it is a popular destination in the city for shopping, dining, and entertainment. He added that the museum may open pop-up shops in other cities. 

The Palace Museum is also planning lectures, digital exhibitions, theme restaurants, and book stores to further promote traditional Chinese culture.