AS merchandise spotlights artifact collection

2015-01-15

A range of innovative cultural and creative products inspired by artifacts contained in Academia Sinica’s Museum of the Institute of History and Philology is proving popular with visitors and generating heightened interest in the facility.

A total of 55 souvenirs are on sale at the Taipei City-based museum, ranging from books, name card holders, pencil sharpeners and posters to coffee mugs inscribed with ancient oracle bone script. Launched in 2002, the marketing initiative is playing an important role in raising awareness of the facility’s 4,000-plus collection.

MIHP Director Li Zong-kun said Jan. 12 that eye-catching items combining educational and practical functions offer museum-goers a special opportunity to learn more about the nation’s heritage and the work of AS, the top research institution in Taiwan.

“Products bearing key phrases from imperial edicts issued during the Qing dynasty [1644-1911] sell like hot cakes with young people,” Li said. “I am told they find it highly amusing to read them aloud while pretending to be an emperor.”

According to Li, the sky is the limit when it comes to expanding the lineup of souvenirs. “There are so many more items we can develop based on ancient Chinese characters, especially compound ideograms, one of the six forms of the characters,” he said.

“We are committed to preserving the country’s storied past and anticipate achieving even more fruitful results going forward as a result of such undertakings.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=226229&CtNode=413)