On December 3rd, 2017, a program by CCTV called National Treasure was shown to people all over the country. It became popular with both the old and the young as soon as it came out.

The show took 27 pieces of cultural relics (文物) from nine museums across the country, such as the Palace Museum, Shanghai Museum, Shanxi History Museum and so on. The show expected to bring life to the national treasure. They invited 27 actors and another 27 common people to tell “the old and new life stories” of the relics. The actor acted in a short play about the history of each relic. The other person told his or her own story in relation to the relic.

More and more people are interested not only in the relics themselves, but also in enjoying the stories behind those relics. There are a lot of jokes online about the show. They also help the show by bringing the museums and relics closer to the people.

Why did the show become so successful? “By telling stories and inviting famous stars, it has turned the old culture into interesting stories. It’s a really creative program,” said Yin Hongru, a teacher from Tsinghua University.

“The social value (社会价值) of the show is more important than anything else,” said Yu Lei from the program. “We just want more people to go to the museums and take a look at the country’s most fantastic treasures.”