Coloring books, coloring culture

The Dunhuang Academy has produced An Age of Prosperity, as Flying Apsar as Wish, a coloring book based on the deity as depicted in the Dunhuang frescoes. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Museums in China are trying not only to display historical relics but also give them a role in people's lives.

An example of this is the Palace Museum, which has developed more than 8,700 types of souvenirs that cover almost every aspect of daily life－even costumes for dogs.

In 2015, revenues from the souvenirs exceeded 1 billion yuan ($154 million), says Shan Jixiang, director of the museum.

The Forbidden City Calendar has become one of its most popular items.

Nearly 300,000 copies of the 2016 edition have been sold.

"What matters to a museum is not how many visitors it receives but how close it is to people's daily lives," Shan says, explaining why the museum has such large range of products.

Last year, coloring books were extremely popular in China.