CHINA. Sinopharm Group’s travel retail arm, China National Service Corporation (CNSC), has launched two proprietary cultural collections from Nanjing’s Deji Art Museum at its duty-free store in Nanjing Lukou International Airport.
The collaboration marks Deji Art Museum’s debut in travel retail, extending its cultural reach beyond home location to connect with departing travellers and bring art-inspired products into the channel.
Available from 26 August, the Jinling Illustrated and Flower World series combine Nanjing’s cultural heritage with practical, giftable designs, targeting departing travellers seeking locally distinctive souvenirs.
Inspired by the museum’s Jinling Illustrated digital art showcase and Eternally in Bloom permanent flower-themed exhibition, the collections span bookmarks, puzzle lamps, storage pouches, plush accessories, postcards, luggage tags and folding-fan gift boxes.
Bringing local culture into the traveller journey
Deji Art Museum is a non-profit institution founded by Deji Group and located on the eighth floor of Deji Plaza Phase II in Nanjing’s Xinjiekou district.
Regularly ranked among China’s 100 most-visited museums, it is particularly known for Jinling Illustrated, an immersive digital art exhibition featured on the UNESCO platform.
The exhibition uses interactive technology to recreate the vibrant market life of Nanjing’s ancient capital, drawing visitors from across China and beyond. More than 70% of out-of-town visitors reportedly make a dedicated trip to experience the exhibition.
Two creative expressions of Nanjing
The product lineup comprises two distinct series.
The Jinling Illustrated series draws on a celebrated Song Dynasty scroll painting. The work is widely regarded as a visual record of historic Nanjing.
Design motifs are sourced from the painting’s street scenes, riverfront lantern displays and 533 individual figures.
The collection includes engraved bookmarks, illuminated 3D puzzle lamps and themed storage pouches under the Qinhuai Elegance and Flourishing Prosperity collections. These travel-oriented items translate classical art into travel-friendly, practical accessories.
The second series is inspired by Nothing Still About Still Lifes: Masterpieces from the World of Flowers Collection. As one of Deji Art Museum’s signature permanent exhibitions, it brings together works from the museum’s Flower World contemporary art collection.
The collection centres on flower-themed masterpieces, spanning both Chinese and international contemporary art. The Deji Art Museum has developed this collection through over a decade of dedicated research and acquisition to build the world’s most systematic and exemplary collection in this genre.
Product offerings include plush accessories inspired by masterpieces from Monet, Renoir, Chang Yu and other well-renowned artists.
The plush range reinterprets the collection’s floral artworks as tangible, collectible pieces, marking its debut in travel retail.
The range also includes flower-themed postcards, luggage tags and folding-fan gift boxes, offering travellers a selection of practical and collectible souvenirs.
The collaboration demonstrates how cultural institutions and travel retailers can work together to bring local IP into international travel environments.
Looking ahead, the partners noted their plan to explore further collaborations around Jinling’s cultural heritage and art, using duty-free retail to bring more Nanjing-inspired products to travellers and extend the city’s cultural reach internationally. ✈
