“Zhenmu Beast” Goes Viral Overnight After Resembling Influencer “Tingquan Shuangbao”: Lianyungang Museum Sees Surge in Visitors and Cultural Products
Published on: November 22, 2024
Unexpected Fame for the Zhenmu Beast
Recently, the treasure appraisal influencer “Tingquan Shuangbao” discovered a peculiar artifact in a live stream that bore a striking resemblance to her own facial features. Upon noticing this, “Tingquan” humorously exclaimed, “This is too uncanny!” and decided to use it as her WeChat avatar. With over 32 million followers, Tingquan’s endorsement propelled the “Zhenmu Beast,” on display at the Lianyungang Museum, into the spotlight, leading to a viral phenomenon seen by hundreds of thousands of internet users.
On November 22, a video surfaced online showing Tingquan Shuangbao resembling the “Zhenmu Beast,” prompting many visitors to queue up for photos using the hashtag #MuseumArtifactResemblesTingquanShuangbao. In response, Tingquan remarked during her live stream, “Initially, I thought it was an AI design, but upon closer inspection, I realized it truly exists! The funniest part is, this is a Zhenmu Beast, which could be seen as my predecessor, and I’ve made it my avatar now.” The Zhenmu Beast is indeed housed within the Lianyungang Museum. On the evening of the 22nd, Lianyungang’s cultural tourism department released a video interacting with Tingquan, saying, “Relatives have come looking for you at home!”
Surge in Visitors to Lianyungang Museum
To gauge the museum’s newfound popularity, reporters visited the site on November 24. By 10:30 AM, a long queue extending over a thousand meters had formed outside the museum, with many eager to see the Zhenmu Beast. The crowd consisted mainly of visitors wanting to check out the “Lianyungang Branch Spring,” with local police and museum staff managing the order. One local resident commented, “The museum has never attracted this many visitors in its years of operation!”
What is the Zhenmu Beast?
The Zhenmu Beast first appeared in the Warring States period in Chu tombs and was popular during the Wei, Jin, Sui, and Tang dynasties, gradually disappearing after the Five Dynasties period. The earliest Zhenmu Beasts were made of wood, while those from the Sui and Tang dynasties were primarily ceramic. The featured Zhenmu Beast, resembling Tingquan, is from the Yaozhou kiln, showcasing a grayish-white body with a yellow glaze and an unglazed bottom. Characterized by a human face and animal body, it features prominent horns, large outward-stretched ears, and a fiery ridge along its back, with a crouched posture on an irregular base.
In the treasure appraisal community, the term “open door” refers to an artifact with obvious characteristics of authenticity, easily recognized as genuine. Tingquan’s endorsement of the Zhenmu Beast reflects her appreciation of the artifact.
“Originally, there was supposed to be a pair, but one has run away and keeps shouting ‘open door’ at home!” commented one netizen. Following the Zhenmu Beast’s viral moment, many internet users began creating content around the theme, sparking widespread discussion.
Cultural Exhibition and Sales Success
The exhibition titled “Seeing Su Yun: Great Exhibition at Your Doorstep” at the Lianyungang station opened on November 16. Featuring top artifacts such as the “Little Pink Furnace,” the Eastern Han “Silver Bronze Cow Lantern,” and the Qing Dynasty “Cloisonné Gold-plated Incense Burner,” this exhibition attracted a significant influx of visitors. In just one and a half days, over 32,000 people visited, with cultural product sales exceeding 40,000 yuan—doubling or quadrupling compared to average summer sales.
A museum staff member informed reporters that although the major exhibition runs from November 16 to 26, the Zhenmu Beast remains part of the museum’s permanent collection and will continue to be displayed after the exhibition ends.
Currently, the Lianyungang Museum is making efforts to contact @Tingquan Shuangbao for potential collaboration, innovating and developing related cultural products and emojis featuring the Zhenmu Beast to maintain its popularity and showcase local cultural charm.
