Taishan Mountain, a symbol of peace and prosperity in Chinese culture, is now stepping into everyday life through innovative cultural products.

A cultural creative product from Tai'an, Shandong, blending jade and wood, earned Shandong its only gold medal at this year's national tourism commodity competition, symbolizing the mountain's enduring blessings. With a cumulative total of 22 medals over four years, Tai'an leads Shandong in gold medals, demonstrating the mass appeal of Taishan's unique heritage.

By downsizing traditional crafts, Tai'an has transformed heritage items like jade carvings and stone inscriptions into portable goods — keychains, USB drives, and sachets. Inheritors like Shi Xiuna have simplified carving processes, reduced product sizes, and lowered prices, turning large jade sculptures into affordable accessories. Products such as the Sui Sui Ping An pet pendant have become popular choices.

Cross-sector integration has further expanded cultural value. Taishan shadow puppets now appear as earrings and trendy toys; ancient pottery from Dawenkou has been recreated as home decorations sold overseas; and plant-dyeing and incense crafts have been made into more than 1,000 lifestyle items.

This cultural revival is also boosting rural livelihoods. In Zhuyang town, Daiyue district, Tai'an, a rubbing workshop employs over 80 villagers, each earning about 5,000 yuan ($743.84) per month. In Baimashi village in Taishan district, livestreaming of cultural products has increased village revenue by over 200,000 yuan annually. In Xintai, 13 traditional workshops generate over 20 million yuan in annual revenue, employing nearly 1,000 people.

With policy support and brand development, Tai'an has built a comprehensive cultural product system — both online and offline — to ensure its traditional culture reaches a wider audience while supporting local communities.

Small, portable cultural products like jade-and-wood accessories bring Taishan Mountain culture from museums into everyday life. [Photo/Tai'an Daily]