A group of nine flash animations and a set of illustrations by Beijing’s Palace Museum
of Emperor Yongzheng, who ruled from 1722 to 1735, have become instant hits online.
The animations were made by technicians at the Palace Museum, based on the
The animations were made by technicians at the Palace Museum, based on the
Paintings of Amusement of Emperor Yongzheng. In the animations, the emperor
washes his feet in a river, fights a tiger and shoots a bird.
The Palace Museum is making strides to change its solemn image with some fun new
products, namely a group of nine flash animations of Emperor Yongzheng, who ruled
from 1722 to 1735. The animations and a group of illustrations have become an instant
hit online.
The Flash animations bring the Emperor Yongzheng to 'life', but not in a way he would
have expected.
The Flash animations bring the Emperor Yongzheng to 'life'.
"The general public is always saying that the palace is extensive and profound and unreachable, so we are aiming to make profound things become popular. This is our common task," said Li Ji, director of Institute of Archaeology at the Palace Museum.
The animations have received more than 800,000 hits and attracted many comments since they were uploaded on August 1.
Many netizens said that they had felt pity for Emperor Yongzheng, who they thought worked very hard and had very little amusement. But after seeing the animations, their attitudes changed. One commented that "Even though the emperor owned the whole nation, maybe he just wanted to have fun like ordinary people."
The museum also has plans to create apps such as "A Day in the Life of an Emperor" to bring the museum and ancient culture closer to today's visitors.
"Through creativity, we can attract more people, especially the younger generation, to get a deeper understanding of the museum, and enlighten them with wisdom," Palace Museum director Shan Jixiang said.
The Palace Museum set up its digital store in 2008, selling souvenirs and products such as T-shirts, salt shakers and luggage tags. Now it has a team to bring ancient works to life, using digital technology. The effort aims to reinvent its products to fit the modern market.
The Flash animations bring the Emperor Yongzheng to 'life'.
The Flash animations bring the Emperor Yongzheng to 'life'.
The Flash animations bring the Emperor Yongzheng to 'life'.
