Recently, a collection store featuring intangible cultural heritage aesthetics, jointly created by three veteran factories: Beijing Hat Factory, Beijing Forward Shoe Factory, and Beijing Costume Factory, reopened at the South Gate of the Temple of Heaven. All three factories were established in Beijing in 1956, and at the important milestone of their 70th anniversary, they collaborated to explore the development path of traditional crafts in the consumption scenarios of the new era through a collection store format. Citizens shop for goods at the intangible cultural heritage aesthetics collection store. Pushing open the shop door, the warmth and ingenuity of the old crafts immediately greet you. The two-way display wall facing the street is transparent and bright, with hats of various patterns and shapes neatly arranged, and Beijing embroidery handbags with traditional patterns shine with a delicate luster. Walking deeper, the "master skills" of the three 70-year-old factories each hold their own secrets. The "best-seller" baseball cap from the Beijing Hat Factory is displayed in a prominent position, its cap body marking takes the shape of the Chinese character "Tian," which subtly matches the eaves outline of the Temple of Heaven's prayer hall. It embeds the Temple of Heaven, a representative symbol of Beijing, into everyday hat styles, serving as both an innovative expression of traditional Beijing hat techniques and a preferred souvenir for tourists to take home a piece of Beijing's memory. Small, exquisite keychains of the same style are compact and delicate, perfectly fitting the aesthetic preferences of contemporary young people and are also popular items in the store. In addition, there are various styles such as berets, fisherman hats, and knit hats, meeting the different needs of customers. In the adjacent footwear section, the layered-sole cloth shoes from the Beijing Forward Shoe Factory retain traditional hand-stitching techniques such as straight stitches and cross stitches, while also improving the fabric and shoe shape, enhancing wearing comfort while preserving the quality of the old craft.
In addition to the classic "pian'er lan" style remembered by old Beijingers, the new denim fabric shoes, cotton shoes, and casual shoes are better suited for daily wear. The brightly colored tiger-head shoes have a charming and endearing look, drawing passersby children to stop and examine them closely with their parents. The clothing in the store hides the national intangible cultural heritage skills of the Beijing Opera costume factory: hand-made qipaos have neat and smooth embroidery lines, new Chinese-style vests and skirts reduce the solemnity of traditional opera costumes, making them more suitable for daily wear. The Beijing embroidery patterns are lively and elegant, and you can clearly feel the fine stitches when you touch them. On the display table in the center of the store, lightweight cultural and creative products such as handbags, jewelry, and mirrors are also full of detail. Rings and necklaces with Beijing opera headwear styles, and small handbags embroidered with traditional patterns integrate intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship into everyday items. The on-site sales consultants will provide matching suggestions to customers based on different travel scenarios and dressing styles, offering a one-stop solution from hats and footwear to clothing accessories, making the shopping experience more complete. "We don't want to be just a store that sells goods, but we hope to become a window and platform for the inheritance of skills," said the person in charge of the collection store. This renovation and upgrade closely follows the regional characteristics of the Temple of Heaven, extending the iconic squirrel image from the scenic area into an exclusive IP. A landmark photo wall for the Temple of Heaven is also set up outside the store. We are focusing on all aspects, from image design and promotional traffic to product adjustments, emphasizing traditional intangible cultural heritage aesthetics that combine the heritage of the old factory and the characteristics of the capital.
Three similarly aged old factories have come from the tide of the 1956 era, all rooted and growing around the Temple of Heaven. Over 70 years, each has participated in the city's living memory with a hat, cloth shoes, and a costume. In the future, these three established brands will use craftsmanship as their foundation, the market as their measure, and innovation as their path, allowing the inheritance of over half a century of traditional skills to find more new enthusiasts in new consumption scenarios.
