THE Palace Museum mascots, named Zhuangzhuang and Meimei, made their first public appearance in Xiamen, Fujian Province, on Sunday.

    The mascots’ designs originate from the traditional Chinese cultural symbols of the dragon and phoenix.

    Feng Hui, head of the cultural service center of the museum, said they hope the mascots will become “cultural products with star power,” be well received by the public and spread Chinese culture to the world.

    The names of the mascots also bear special meanings. “Zhuang,” which means “strong” in Mandarin, represents the power of the dragon and the strength of the Forbidden City; “Mei,” which means “beautiful,” stands for the more than 1.8 million treasures hidden within the museum.

    Developing the mascots’ designs took more than 10 months. All the costumes, beads, hats, and other accessories on the mascots underwent scrupulous inspections by experts.

    Feng said that, for now, the mascots are wearing costumes from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), but in the future, they will probably wear costumes from other dynasties.

    An online shopping mall for the museum will open Jan. 1, 2015, and cultural products, including items featuring the mascots, will be available for delivery to households around the world, Feng added.

    (SD-Agencies)