Museum in NW China's Gansu uses latte art to give more people a taste of culture

The Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province has rolled out coffee with latte art featuring images of a galloping horse treading on a flying swallow, winning the hearts of tourists.

Photo shows two cups of coffee with latte art featuring images of a galloping horse treading on a flying swallow, served at the Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province. (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

Photo shows two cups of coffee with latte art featuring images of a galloping horse treading on a flying swallow, served at the Gansu Provincial Museum in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province. (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

The coffee marks the latest effort made by the museum to enrich its cultural and creative product series. It is inspired by the statue "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," which was created during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) and is now preserved in the museum.

Photo shows the statue "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow," which was created during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) and is now preserved in the Gansu Provincial Museum. (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

In recent years, the Gansu Provincial Museum has developed a series of cultural and creative products in a bid to bring cultural relics closer to people's lives, help the general public enjoy a "taste" of culture and explore the cultural connotations of the concept "A bite of museums."

"We try to offer tasty, good-looking and fun delicacies that can represent the museum and help people remember its cultural relics," said Cui Youxin, who is in charge of creativity at the museum.

Photo shows cultural and creative products inspired by the ancient statue "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow." (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

Photo shows cultural and creative products inspired by the ancient statue "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow." (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

Under the theme of "edible cultural relics", the Gansu Provincial Museum has rolled out ice pops, chocolates, mooncakes and coffee as part of efforts to bring about cross-industry collaboration between cultural relics and delicacies. The products became instant hits after they were rolled out.

Photo shows cultural and creative products inspired by the ancient statue "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow." (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

Photo shows cultural and creative products inspired by the ancient statue "Bronze Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow." (People's Daily Online/Huang Fan)

"In addition to spreading knowledge, cultural and creative products also provide an opportunity for social interaction, and can satisfy people's emotional and spiritual needs," Cui said.

"A good cultural and creative product should be able to create a beautiful memory for tourists. Only by bringing cultural and creative products close to people's lives can museums reach out to more people," Cui explained.