Why have fridge magnets become runaway hit in China?

A visitor compares a cultural and creative product modeled after an enamel inlaid jade gourd with the original Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) artifact at the Henan Museum in central China's Henan Province. (File photo by Fan Xiaoheng/China News Service)

Fridge magnets have emerged as a focal point in China's booming cultural and creative economy. Just how popular are they? The phrase "the fridge magnets on my fridge are now worth more than the fridge itself" recently became a trending topic on Chinese social media platforms.

The topic has sparked a nationwide wave of fridge-magnet sharing online, with internet users posting photos of their collections. Some said they had so many magnets that their fridge could no longer hold them, and even bought an extra magnetic board just to display the overflow.

Behind the cultural and creative items' surge in popularity is the craze for museums and cultural institutions, driven by a renewed interest in traditional culture.

The integration of modern technology into visitor experiences and relevant institutions' cultural and creative products has contributed significantly to the sustained boom in cultural and museum-related consumption.

A visitor takes photos of commemorative fridge magnets featuring an ancient Chinese empress's phoenix crown. (File photo by Tian Yuhao/China News Service)

No longer just cheap souvenirs, many fridge magnets today are exquisitely crafted, rich in cultural significance and symbolism, and often technology-infused.

The National Museum of China's fridge magnets featuring intricate details of a delicate empress crown from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a treasured piece held in the museum, have sold more than 1 million units.

A ceiling-pattern fridge magnet from the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum helped lift the museum's total cultural and creative product sales to 35 million yuan ($4.91 million) last year.

In addition, a fridge magnet modeled after a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) enamel inlaid jade gourd—symbolizing fortune and blessings—sold nearly 10,000 pieces in just over a month since it was launched by the Henan Museum in central China's Henan Province.

During this year's National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, a fridge magnet released at the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan, also drew lines at the checkout counter, featuring rotating graphics that reveal oracle-bone characters of auspicious words.

Chen Shaofeng, deputy curator of Guangdong Museum in south China's Guangdong Province, attributes the explosive growth in the sales of fridge magnets to their cultural significance, ingenious designs, and exquisite craftsmanship.

Recognizing museums' ability to mine distinctive cultural IPs, such as their most valuable exhibits or iconic artifacts, and to pair them with appealing crafts and interactive formats, Chen said the cultural uniqueness of fridge magnets inspired by such artifacts avoided the problem of homogenization while effectively promoting culture.

Thanks to technological progress and the advancement of manufacturing techniques, fridge magnets now have a higher quality, both in terms of their designs and materials, according to Chen.

"Some fridge magnets incorporate augmented reality (AR) technology and other modern technologies, allowing consumers to interact with the artifacts and engage in a cross-time dialogue with history. This adds an element of fun and naturally attracts people's attention," Chen said.

"In addition, many people see fridge magnets as joyful mementos of their travels. As cultural products, they are affordably priced, and with people's living standards rising, consumers are increasingly willing to pay for their emotional value," he added.