Palace Museum to release phone for Chinese New Year

The invitation letter reveals collaboration between the Palace Museum and the phone brand 8848. [Photo/Weibo.com]

If an ancient emperor had a phone, what would it be like? An invitation letter from the Palace Museum reveals a new move to collaborate with the domestic high-end mobile phone brand 8848 Ti Mobile Phone for the first time to release a phone for the "emperor".

The new phone, made with titanium and fuses cultural elements from the Palace Museum, was designed for the Chinese New Year celebration.

As the brand 8848 focuses on a minority group of the high-end market, the collaboration resonates with the museum's "craftsman spirit". The goal is to spread traditional Chinese culture in a more diverse way.

The new version was created by famous designer Laurence Xu, who turned ancient emperors' official robes into an evening gown and designed garments for many celebrities.

Another highlight of the new phone is that it absorbs many elements from the Palace Museum. For example, the phone is installed with several of the museum's apps, as well as pictures of auspicious patterns and the 24 Solar Terms from the museum as a screen saver and wallpaper.

The Palace Museum's phone for the New Year will be officially released at the Zijin Academy in the Palace Museum on Dec 19.