A giant green box is drawing visitors into the world of Prince Kung's Palace at the 2026 China Culture and Tourism Industries Expo in Tianjin, running from Sept 3 to 6.
The pavilion, themed "Gongbo Gifts: Green Box", presents cultural and creative products from Prince Kung's Palace Museum in Beijing while transforming elements of the historical palace into a contemporary exhibition space.
The exhibition, which opened Thursday at the Tianjin Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center, centers around the four seasons, echoing the changing scenery of the palace garden.
The design draws on some of the palace's best-known architectural and cultural symbols. A Western-style gate and window patterns inspired by the palace are incorporated into the pavilion. A cave-like installation echoes the palace garden's Secret Cloud Cave, where the famous "World's Best Blessing" stele bearing the Qing (1644-1911) Emperor Kangxi's calligraphy is preserved.
Among the products on display is the "Youfu Bao" series, which plays on the Chinese phrase youfu, meaning "to be blessed", and the character bao, meaning "to embrace" or "hug", turning the idea of blessings into a playful, tactile concept.
Another highlight is the "Gong Xiaozhu" IP series. The character is rooted in the history of Prince Kung's Palace, with its image inspired by Emperor Qianlong's 10th daughter, one of the palace's earliest occupants. The museum developed the character as a more vivid and approachable way to bring the palace's history to younger audiences.
The range extends beyond figurines and decorative items to everyday products. The museum has also developed products that draw on traditional motifs found in the palace, including its gardens, decorative windows and the culture of blessings.
The "Green Box" concept is not new to the museum. In recent years, it has been used in its presentations at cultural and tourism fairs, with the pavilion designed as a contemporary interpretation of the palace itself. Previous versions have re-created elements including the palace's five-courtyard layout, Western-style gate and garden motifs and combined them with a modern exhibition design.
The approach is part of the museum's broader effort to develop cultural and creative products based on its collections, architecture and historical research. The museum has described "Gongbo Gifts" as a means of bringing elements of Prince Kung's Palace into everyday life. At the same time, its product development has expanded into fashion, food, household goods and collectibles.
The 2026 China Culture and Tourism Industries Expo is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It covers about 100,000 square meters across 10 exhibition halls, showcasing new formats, models and scenarios in the culture and tourism industries.
