Goldfish, folk arts and palace gardens merge in Beijing summer exhibition

At the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Prince Kung's Palace in central Beijing, goldfish are bringing a touch of summer elegance to ancient courtyards, where they swim alongside traditional folk artworks ranging from woodblock prints and paper-cuts to lanterns and embroidery.

The 2026 Goldfish Exhibition opened on Aug 11 at Prince Kung's Palace Museum, offering visitors a chance to explore the cultural traditions surrounding ornamental goldfish, garden aesthetics and folk craftsmanship.

Hosted by the museum, under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the exhibition marks the fifth consecutive goldfish-themed exhibition held by the museum.

Running until Aug 23, the exhibition features more than 20 traditional goldfish varieties, including bubble-eye and telescope-eye, lionhead and other ornamental species. It also incorporates intangible cultural heritage-inspired creations, including woodblock printing, paper-cutting, lantern making, kite painting and embroidery, creating an immersive experience that connects living creatures with traditional arts.

The exhibition is divided into five themed sections.

Four "Viewing Goldfish in Wooden Tubs" displays re-create a traditional way of appreciating goldfish. Each scene features a large wooden tub, about 1.5 meters in diameter, housing different varieties of goldfish and paired with a specific folk art theme.

The woodblock printing-themed display features bubble-eye, ranchu, and telescope-eye goldfish, with Yangliuqing-style New Year woodblock prints as its backdrop. The paper-cutting section presents various goldfish varieties alongside goldfish-themed paper-cut artworks from Yuxian county in Hebei province and other regions.

The kite-themed display showcases varieties including ryukin, lionhead, egg-phoenix, and pompom goldfish, complemented by goldfish-patterned kites from Weifang, Shandong province. The embroidery-themed area features black telescope-eye, tigerhead and ranchu goldfish, set against double-sided embroidered works from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

The exhibition's largest installation, Viewing Goldfish in Ponds — Goldfish Lanterns, is located in the museum's Duofuxuan courtyard. A landscape featuring rock formations and a fishpond has been created beneath towering cypress trees, where red and black telescope-eye goldfish swim. Under a large wisteria trellis, goldfish-shaped lanterns hang above clay basins containing varieties such as lemon grass goldfish, red-and-white wakin, calico wakin and lionhead goldfish.

A cultural experience area invites visitors to try traditional crafts, including goldfish-themed woodblock printing, paper-cutting, fan painting, kite decoration and clay modeling.

With lotus plants, water-themed patterns and traditional Chinese design elements integrated throughout the exhibition space, the event re-creates the poetic atmosphere of classical garden fish appreciation while demonstrating how traditional skills can find new expressions in contemporary cultural experiences.

By bringing together ornamental fish, historical gardens and folk craftsmanship, the exhibition highlights the enduring appeal of Chinese goldfish culture — a tradition shaped by aesthetics, ingenuity and a refined appreciation of everyday life.

The exhibition will remain open until Aug 23 and is closed on Mondays.