Museums across China are turning their cafeterias into cultural showcases, serving up dishes modeled on ancient relics as culinary tourism becomes a new draw for visitors.
In north China's Hebei Province, the Hebei Museum's treasured artifact, the "Changxin Palace Lamp," which is a bronze sculpture of a kneeling palace maid holding a lamp with a hollow sleeve that channels smoke, has inspired a standout menu item.
Made from steamed egg and shaped like the famed lamp, it is served alongside Shijiazhuang-style beef noodles, which has quickly attracted long lines of visitors.
"I learned online that the restaurant at the museum serves very distinctive food, so I came here to try it. It feels like eating can also be pleasing to the eyes," said Lyv Ying, who traveled from Beijing to visit the museum.
In central China's Henan Anyang Yin Ruins Museum, the "Oracle Bone Script Noodles" have become a sensation. At peak meal hours, diners pack the restaurant on the first floor.
The Yin Ruins, which were added to the World Heritage List in 2006 by UNESCO, boast archaeological remnants of the city of Yin, the last capital of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.) in ancient China. The oracle bone scripts discovered within the ruins are considered to be the oldest Chinese inscriptions.
Served steaming hot, the noodles feature oracle bone script characters, many carrying auspicious meanings. It is now a top seller, with weekend and holiday orders reaching 500 to 600 servings a day.
"They feature the oracle bone scripts that contain very auspicious messages like wishes for good fortune, and prosperity. When we saw it online, we thought we must come and taste them - to eat these beautiful wishes into our stomachs," said Xie Fei, a visitor from east China's Qingdao City.
At the Hubei Provincial Museum, a cafe on the second floor offers another social-media favorite -- Bianzhong (bronze ceremonial bell) Beef Noodles. The highlight is a spiced corned egg modeled after the museum's famous ancient bronze ceremonial bell, giving visitors a sense of time travel.
"I think it's very innovative, and eating it makes me feel like traveling back in time, as if what happen in the ancient times was right before my eyes," said a visitor surnamed Lyv.
The noodles have been hugely popular among museum visitors since its launch.
"We wanted to combine the characteristics of the museum to create food that not only cater to visitors' taste buds but let them feel the relics and the culture in them," said Wang Liang, director of the museum's cultural and creative development department.
Cultural relics-inspired foods draw crowds to museum cafeterias across China
