Abstract：The Forbidden City is a prominent representative of Chinese cultural heritage, and the Palace Museum cultural and creativity, serving as a paradigm in the domain of museum cultural creativity in China, has successfully established a broad influence spanning multiple platforms through its remarkable performance in the development of cultural and creative products (CCPs). The transformation of historical artifacts into CCPs provides new pathways for cultural heritage preservation and enhances the efficiency and impact of cultural dissemination. Researching the design and dissemination of CCPs from the Palace Museum is of great significance for innovating methods of cultural heritage preservation and enhancing cultural innovation capabilities, which are essential for the sustainable development of cultural industries.
Previous studies primarily focused on the design elements and marketing strategies of CCPs from the Palace Museum. However, there remains to be a substantial gap in research concerning the aspects of cultural interpretation and dissemination. To address this gap, a content analysis of popular CCPs from the “Flagship Cultural and Creative Store of the Palace Museum” reveals that artifact-based CCPs effectively propagate corresponding traditional culture. This discovery is based on a three-dimensional analytical framework constructed from the semiotics triad, meanwhile, effective questionnaire surveys of Palace Museum CCP consumers, followed by statistical analysis using SPSS, show factors influencing consumer purchase intentions during cultural dissemination.
The findings of this research are illuminating. The Palace Museum’s bestselling CCPs frequently draw inspiration from ancient art treasures and court historical relics, predominantly applied to lifestyle products. In contrast, political and philosophical artefacts are often used in stationery and accessory CCP designs. The primary design strategy is extraction-based design, followed by interpretive design, with replication-based design being the least frequently used.
In the realm of online dissemination, the Palace Museum’s CCPs benefit significantly from the influence of digital platforms and social media. During the online dissemination of Palace Museum CCPs, a significant positive correlation is observed between the word-of-mouth qaality of online opinion leaders, interactive engagement, promotional popularity, and consumer trust. Additionally, content quality and promotional popularity significantly correlate with consumers’ cultural perceptions. Furthermore, consumer trust and cultural perception significantly correlate with purchase intentions. Historical culture endows CCP designs with new market appeal and aesthetic charm. The dissemination of CCPs makes more people aware of the value of the Palace Museum culture.
In conclusion, the design of Palace Museum CCPs should integrate cultural identity, cultural norms, and aesthetic considerations to achieve a harmonious blend of cultural essence and innovation. Leveraging digital network dissemination and the cultural influence of opinion leaders would expand their cultural impact, effectively propagating China’s excellent traditional culture into everyday life, and fulfilling the educational function of cultural relics. This research underscores the importance of a multifaceted approach encompassing design innovation, effective dissemination, and cultural education. By continuing to explore and expand upon these strategies, the Palace Museum can further enhance its role as a steward of cultural heritage and a pioneer in cultural innovation.
