On May 18, International Museum Day, the Beijing Imperial Tea and Kitchen Royal Pastry Culture Museum was officially inaugurated and opened to the public free of charge. Located at 106 Andingmennei Street in the Dongcheng District, along the capital's central axis, this specialized museum, prepared over a year, focuses on the systematic display and living heritage of Qing Dynasty imperial pastry culture, becoming another distinctive new cultural landmark in the capital. The Imperial Tea and Kitchen was established in the first year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign and served as the core institution of Qing imperial culinary culture. Wang Wengang, Director of the museum, stated, "The establishment of this museum is not for displaying antiques, but to bring the ritual and food culture dormant in historical records to life. We are committed to transforming the scattered imperial pastry culture into a public cultural resource that the public can participate in and perceive." It is reported that the museum has invited Yuan Hongqi, a historical researcher at the Palace Museum and expert in Qing imperial dietary culture, along with renowned cultural scholar Song Weizu, to form a core expert team providing academic support for collection research, exhibition planning, and intangible cultural heritage skill restoration. The museum interior is designed as a composite cultural experience space, housing over 2,000 precious artifacts and documents across six categories, including Qing Dynasty pastry molds, imperial utensils, and palace dietary records. The exhibition is structured around the narrative themes of "a dynasty, a lifetime, a year, a day," linking four major exhibition areas. Visitors can experience the unique charm of traditional pastry culture up close through professional guided tours, digital navigation, live demonstrations of intangible heritage skills, and immersive experiences like imperial afternoon tea. Simultaneously, leveraging the profound cultural heritage of Beijing's central axis, the museum has created a distinctive destination featuring "Central Axis Culture + Imperial Pastries + Intangible Heritage Experience." This transforms historical materials from Qing palace archives and intangible heritage skills passed down through generations into public cultural resources that are visible, learnable, and experiential, serving as an important showcase for "Beijing Gifts." Yuan Hongqi noted that Imperial Tea and Kitchen pastries are a microcosm of Qing imperial rituals and lifestyles. This museum fills a gap in the specialized display of Qing imperial dietary culture and establishes a crucial platform for the systematic study of palace cuisine and the revitalization of intangible heritage skills. Liu Chaoying, Chairman of the Beijing Museum Society, commented, "Many might think this is merely a museum about food and pastries, but it holds a unique and profound significance. In China's millennia-long history, culinary culture has gradually developed as a cultural branch. Pastries, in particular, are integral to all significant life milestones for Chinese people, playing a vital role in weddings, festivals, and rituals. This museum not only preserves and restores ancient Chinese pastry-making techniques but also carries profound cultural connotations of the East." It is reported that the Beijing Imperial Tea and Kitchen Royal Pastry Culture Museum will continue to deepen research into imperial ritual and food culture, base its efforts on the living heritage of intangible cultural heritage, build platforms for cultural exchange between China and other countries, and deeply integrate central axis culture with intangible heritage skills. This initiative supports Beijing's development as a national cultural center and helps share China's stories effectively.
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