This photo taken on June 6, 2023 shows creative cultural products for sale at a store of the memorial of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, east China. (The memorial of the first CPC National Congress/Handout via Xinhua)
SHANGHAI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- "The Age of Awakening," "The Darkest Hour," and "Hammer and Sickle" are unusual names on the menu of a coffee shop; however, products featuring such revolutionary memories have recently become the new darling of youngsters in today's China.
In "Yi Coffee," a café close to the site of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Shanghai, black-and-white photos depicting the CPC's founding and revolution history hang on the walls. The coffee names and pricing are inspired by relevant historical events. The shop's eye-catching decorations and delicate design offer consumers a taste of China's revolutionary past with a modern touch.
"Some prices symbolize the memorable years of historical events, and some coffee options are named after specific exhibits in our memorial," said Wu Fan, director of the business development department with the memorial of the first CPC National Congress.
"The coffee tastes fresh in terms of its rich cultural innovation, which brings me closer to our history," said a female customer surnamed Wang.
In China, the founding and revolutionary history of the Party and the spiritual motivation represented by its heroes are often referred to as "red culture." Red is the predominant color of China's national flag and a symbol of revolution, collectivism, and patriotism.
The red culture-themed coffee is part of the memorial's efforts to attract more youngsters.
Based on the 128,000 cultural relics preserved in the memorial, it has developed various kinds of creative cultural products, hoping to give full play to the market potential of red culture while making more and more people take an interest in the Party's history and its founding spirit, according to Wu.
At the memorial's square lies a 65-square-meter store that specializes in selling red culture-themed products. More than 330 varieties of products sold in the store include books, philatelic items, and even electronics, which integrate perfectly with elements like the birthplace of the CPC and preserved cultural relics.
The memorial also teams up with some time-honored brands in China to launch articles of everyday use.
In June, a traditional pastry was printed with words celebrating the Party's new journey of the new era; the pre-sale of co-branded eyeglasses has also targeted the college students of Generation Z, with the spectacle case adorned in red and the eyeglasses chain decorated with signature patterns of the first CPC National Congress site.
Ushering in its 102nd founding anniversary on Saturday, the Party has seen more and more trendy adaptions of its glorious past in creative coffee, T-shirts, candy, stationery, and more, while its revolutionary spiritual essence is still proven to have enduring appeal to the Chinese.
"I am a big fan of the souvenirs of museums and memorials. Now, I feel so surprised and much delighted to see such lively and novel expressions of red culture -- I used to regard it as something too serious for me," said a resident surnamed Wu. Wu has just bought a T-shirt themed on "new youth," a symbolic phrase in red culture, in the memorial's store.
"Our customers are mainly young art enthusiasts and college students. Behind their passion for buying relevant creative products are their recognition of red culture and pride for the Party's revolutionary past," said Ruan Jun, vice curator of the memorial.
The popularity of such products among the young echoes people's strong national identity. It motivates China's young generations to learn more about the Party's history, which helps inject vitality into the red tourism sector, according to Ruan.
"The creative cultural products have served as a bond, bridging the past, present, and our future while integrating red cultural symbols into people's daily life," Ruan added. ■
This photo taken on June 1, 2023 shows "Yi Coffee," a café close to the site of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)
