Palace Museum sales hit 1.5 billion yuan in 2017

The latest tally of stats show sales at the Palace Museum, better known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing reached 1.5 billion yuan (around 221 million USD) in 2017, said Shan Jixiang, the museum curator during the Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum.

Cultural products from the Palace Museum on sale at a store in Shanghai, January 31, 2019. [Photo: IC]

"The number is bigger than the annual income of 1,500 listed companies on the mainland's A share market," said Shan.

The Palace Museum began selling souvenirs and other peripheral products on Alibaba's Taobao in October 2010.

Cultural products from the Palace Museum on sale at a store in Shanghai, January 31, 2019. [Photo: IC]

Statistics shows the number of cultural and creative products available for sale at the Palace Museum increased from 195 in 2013 to 9,170 in 2016.

"The income from the cultural and creative industries has made it possible for the Palace Museum to hold 60,000 educational activities in 2018," said Shan.