At the United Nations headquarters in New York and on the campus of Columbia University, a collection of cultural designs from China’s Ningbo has been quietly drawing attention: oil-paper umbrellas marked by the rhythms of the 24 solar terms, gold-and-silver embroidered eye masks, and other objects rooted in China’s intangible cultural heritage. Together, they offer international audiences a tactile introduction to classical Chinese aesthetics.

二十四节气油纸伞、金银彩绣眼罩……连日来，从美国纽约联合国总部到哥伦比亚大学，宁波文创企业的系列非遗文创品向世界各地的人们展示东方美学的魅力。

Inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the 24 solar terms have shaped agricultural life and seasonal awareness in China for centuries and are long regarded as a treasure of traditional Chinese culture. In the exhibition, their influence appears across a range of objects, from oil-paper umbrellas and gold-and-silver embroidered eye masks to refrigerator magnets, each translating ancient seasonal knowledge into contemporary design.

作为中华传统文化的瑰宝,“二十四节气”被列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。此次参展的物品有油纸伞、金银彩绣眼罩、冰箱贴等，不少都有节气元素。

One of the exhibition’s highlights is a Song-dynasty porcelain–inspired series, organized around the sequence of the 24 solar terms. For each term, designers selected a representative piece of Song porcelain as the visual anchor. Using a distinctive approach that simplifies Chinese characters and pairs them with a restrained, understated color palette, the series weaves together seasonal climate, ceramic form, and classical aesthetics. The result is a cohesive visual language that reflects both the elegance of Song ceramics and a contemporary vision of intangible cultural heritage as lived experience.

其中，宋瓷系列以二十四节气为时间脉络，为每个节气甄选一件代表性宋瓷作品作为核心视觉元素。作品通过汉字简化的独特艺术手法，并搭配简洁淡雅的东方色彩体系，将节气的气候特征与宋代瓷器的器型美学深度融合，实现文化意象与视觉形态的统一，传达非遗生活与节气时尚相结合的理念。

The works were presented as part of “Cultural Exchange Harmonious Coexistence”, an exhibition and international public art forum recently held at the United Nations headquarters that showcased contemporary interpretations of Eastern traditional crafts. Supported by the China National Arts Fund and organized by Shanghai University in collaboration with the China Folklore Society, the event positioned Eastern traditional crafts as a medium for cross-cultural dialogue, an especially resonant gesture on a stage devoted to global exchange.

据悉，“文明互鉴·和美共生：东方传统工艺当代美术作品展”暨国际公共艺术主题论坛日前在美国纽约联合国总部大楼举办，活动由中国国家艺术基金资助，上海大学、中国民间文艺家协会主办。这场跨越国界的文化盛事，以东方传统工艺为纽带，在联合国这一世界文明对话的舞台上，为多元文明的深度交流与互鉴搭建起坚实桥梁。

The key participating enterprise, Yinzhou-based MIC ICH Cultural Management Co, specializes in the creative transformation and contemporary application of traditional crafts. Through its flagship initiative, a space dedicated to experiencing and engaging with intangible cultural heritage, the company combines design, production, exhibition, retail, and hands-on programming to bring intangible cultural heritage into everyday life while promoting its sustainable development.

参展企业梅隐川（宁波）非遗文化运营管理有限公司是一家专注于非物质文化遗产运营与创新的文化企业。公司以“非遗生活馆”为核心品牌，将设计、生产、展示、销售、体验运营服务集为一体，实现非物质文化遗产的生活化、创新化和产业化。

“What we brought to New York were not simply objects,” said Xu Kezhuo, vice president of the Provincial Cultural and Creative Association and head of intangible cultural heritage operations at MIC. “They represent a way of life shaped by Eastern aesthetics. The 24 solar terms have long guided Chinese daily life and production, and they also offer a shared language for dialogue among civilizations. Our task now is to draw more confidently from the spiritual depth of traditional culture, translate it into contemporary forms, and engage more openly with the world.”

省文创协会副会长、梅隐川MIC非遗运营负责人许可琢说：“我们带去的不仅是器物，更是一种有着东方美学的生活方式。二十四节气不仅深刻影响了中国人的生产与生活，也是促进文明交流互鉴的重要纽带，它启示我们，未来的道路在于更自信地深挖传统文化的精神矿藏，用当代语言进行创造性转译，更开放地参与全球对话。”

The enthusiasm was evident among international visitors. UN official Marco Suazo expressed fascination with the solar-term oil-paper umbrellas. “These works are not just full of cultural meaning, they are also very stylish. I really love them,” he said after carefully studying the intricate seasonal patterns.

联合国训练研究所纽约办公室主任马克·苏哈索对节气纸伞充满了好奇，并对精美的节气图案进行了详细的了解，“这些作品不仅充满文化内涵，而且十分时尚，我非常喜欢。”

Other products, including solar term refrigerator magnets, the lotus fragrance, and fish-shaped chopsticks, also drew praise from international experts, including representatives from the United Nations. The enthusiastic response reflected a growing global curiosity about and appreciation for Chinese culture as expressed through contemporary design.

此外，节气冰箱贴、“一莲万年”非遗香氛、鱼筷等多款产品也得到了联合国粮农组织、全球环境基金人工智能治理、联合国训练研究所特别专家阿马杰·米达尼等专家的点赞，加深了国际友人对中国文化的了解与喜爱。

Source: Yongpai

Correspondent: Wu Haixia

Translator: Pan Wenjie