Fridge magnets prove hot sales items at museums

"How can I buy the fridge magnets of the phoenix coronet?" This is the most frequently asked question at gift shops of the National Museum of China in Beijing, and a typical response is, "You should be able to get one if you arrive before 7:30 am."

Recently, fridge magnets inspired by the phoenix coronet of Empress Xiaoduan from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) have gone viral on social media, with a flood of posts sharing purchase experiences, attracting large crowds to the museum shop.

The phoenix coronet is one of the museum's most famous exhibits. Adorned with nine phoenixes and nine dragons and embellished with thousands of pearls and hundreds of rubies and sapphires, it was worn by Empress Xiaoduan during visits to the ancestral temple. Notably, it is listed among the Chinese cultural relics forbidden to be exhibited abroad.