At the bustling book fair in Beijing’s Chaoyang Park, visitors are discovering more than just books. Amid the vibrant stalls, one booth is drawing the attention of art enthusiasts with its collection of replicated heritage paintings.
Masterpieces like Along the River during the Qingming Festival and A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains are being replicated and offered to the public at affordable prices. Priced at several hundred yuan, these replicas make owning a piece of traditional Chinese art accessible to average income earners.
“We want to bring these famous artworks out of museums and into people’s homes,” says Weiwei, a shop assistant at the booth. She demonstrates the impressive length of a scroll replica, explaining that customers can request framing to protect and display the artwork.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to make traditional culture more accessible. Technologists and artists are creatively reimagining ancient calligraphy and painting masterpieces to breathe new life into them. Among these, Along the River during the Qingming Festival stands out, highlighting elements of 14 of China’s intangible cultural heritage items recognized by UNESCO, according to the Kaifeng culture and tourism authorities in Henan Province.
As cultural literacy and economic prosperity grow, the introduction of high-quality replicas into the Chinese cultural market is meeting the public’s desire for highbrow culture. Critics believe this trend not only satisfies consumer demand but also plays a significant role in promoting national traditional culture.
