Another "very new way of traveling"? Why do young people love to stamp? After City Walk
After City Walk, "chapter style travel" has become popular among young people again. In Shanghai, collecting chapters while City Walk is seen by young people as an important way to deeply read the city. On social media platforms, stamp guides for popular neighborhoods such as Wukang Road, Bund, and Lujiazui always receive a lot of likes and responses. Many niche cultural and museum venues have gained popularity due to their unique seals, attracting visitors.
Screenshots of web pages with millions of views on related topics on Xiaohongshu
Screenshots of web pages with millions of views on related topics on Xiaohongshu
According to the "2023 Mid Autumn and National Day Tourism Consumption Trend Forecast Report" recently released by third-party tourism platforms, "stamp style tourism" that has become popular this summer has become a new favorite among young people. Especially since September, the content related to "stamping" has become popular on various social media platforms, driving a new trend of cultural and tourism consumption.
From cultural and museum attractions to small shops on the streets and alleys, replacing traditional photo taking and stamping has become a very new way of playing. What cultural and psychological needs are reflected behind the fact that Jizhang has become a major driving force for young people to "check in" outside their homes?
How can the stamping gameplay become explicit
The "Watching the SH à ng Guqin - Echoes of Three Thousand Years" Guqin Art Exhibition, which opened on the 7th floor of the Shanghai Library last Friday evening, quickly made it onto the recommendation list of "Zhang You". The first batch of 6 Guqin seals and 6 Pu Zi seals were launched at the exhibition, scattered in different areas of the venue, waiting for visitors to collect them. One of the organizers, Guangxi Normal University Press, also designed a free stamp collection for the exhibition.
Provided by interviewees for the interactive experience activity of the Guqin Exhibition
About half of the visitors come specifically to check in. In the past week, Li Ying, Director of the Propaganda and Promotion Department of the Shanghai Library Reading Promotion Center, observed that "Zhang You" has indeed become a major force among the visitors. In fact, at the beginning of exhibition planning, it was a consensus among several organizers to come together and provide readers with "chapter collection" services. Starting next week, four new sets of seals will be released at the Guqin Exhibition, including the Twelve Rhythms of Chinese Music, Twelve Poems of Guqin, Twelve Variations of Qin Characters, and Gu Kaizhi's Zhuo Qin Picture, each with 12 seals. "For example, the twelve rhythms are the logic and foundation of Chinese music, as well as the characteristics of the guqin. Currently, the twelve rhythms are well preserved and passed down in guqin and bianzhong. The twelve rhythms correspond to the twelve emblems of the guqin, and can also correspond to twelve months, which is a very interesting collision." Li Ying showed reporters some of the completed design drafts, including the more complex color schemes that are highly sought after in "Zhangyou".
The seal design draft to be released at the Guqin Exhibition will be provided by respondents
In the various theme museums of the East Museum in the above picture, there are also many distinctive seals available, such as the seal carving seal of the Art Literature Museum, the family tree seal of the Family Genealogy Museum, and the Magnolia seal of the Local Literature Museum.
The "Snowy Mud and Hung Claw" color stamp from the East Museum of Art and Literature was provided by the interviewee
"Chapters are an entry point that drives people's interest in exploring culture. For example, the first batch of spectrogram seals launched have QR codes for readers to scan and learn about the knowledge of reducing characters in guqin." Li Ying said, "Considering that guqin is relatively a niche hobby, we hope to attract more people's attention with thoughtful seals."
The spectrogram is very informative, provided by the interviewee
The spectrogram is very informative, provided by the interviewee
At the Shanghai Book Fair held in August, the stamping teams in front of major booths became a scene. According to incomplete statistics, readers can collect nearly 300 seals at the Shanghai Book Fair. Interestingly, many publishing houses did not originally focus on collecting chapters. "Stamping" has become popular, and "carving seals overnight" has also become a "hot topic" on social media accounts of many publishing houses. "The collection of chapters at the book fair is actually a spontaneous gameplay driven by readers, and no one expected it to be so popular," said an editor from a publishing house.
Reader stamps at this year's Shanghai Book Fair, photographed by Shi Chenlu
Because of the collection of seals, I met many 'treasure' publishing houses. Not only were there early publishers that invested in cultural and creative development, represented by Shanghai translations, but also many 'small societies' that worked in professional fields that gained attention due to their unique seals. The seal of the legal publishing house is very large, so it is necessary to prepare a larger stamp paper. While sharing their experience, some readers lamented that they were exposed to professional books that they did not pay much attention to in the past at the booth, which was very rewarding.
"Our cultural and creative exhibition booth is located on the second floor platform, which used to be easily overlooked by readers, so I wanted to use a seal to bring a wave of attention, but I didn't expect it to be so popular." Recalling this year's Shanghai Book Fair experience, Wen Zhongqiu, the person in charge of "Douhao Cultural and Creative" at Shanghai People's Publishing House, still couldn't help but laugh. "What is more popular than the" shopkeeper "is the" Zhang Zhang "person. I am the" Zhang Zhang "person." Douhao "has three seals, in addition to the brand seal of" Douhao Cultural and Creative "itself, there are also two seals developed based on the elements of the book. One is the stove on the cover of Shanghai writer Shen Jialu's new book" A Letter to the Kitchen God ". Prince, one is the costume pattern from the" Elegant Charm in the Thousand Autumn Annals: Illustrated Exhibition of the 120th Anniversary of Yu Zhenfei's Birthday ". The" Kitchen God "pattern also features a canvas bag, and two scarves have been developed for the costume pattern
Douhao Cultural and Creative Director Wen Zhongqiu jokingly referred to himself as the "Zhang Zhang Ren" at the book fair, photographed by Shi Chenlu
Three badges provided by Douhao Cultural and Creative at this year's Shanghai Book Fair, photographed by Shi Chenlu
Drawing inspiration from book elements for seals, photographed by Shi Chenlu
Drawing inspiration from book elements for seals, photographed by Shi Chenlu
In the eyes of industry insiders, seals are actually low-cost cultural creations, and popular seals must have their unique cultural value. For example, Shanghai Translation Publishing House has extracted golden sentences from foreign literary masterpieces as seals, which may be a small path to classics or a manifestation of one's attitude towards life for stamp readers. In popular terms, it not only has a sense of culture, but also provides emotional value.
At this year's Shanghai Book Fair, the author's golden sentence seal from Shanghai Translation Publishing House was very popular. Photo by Shi Chenlu
"In a centralized venue, hundreds of stamps can be stamped at once. It can be said that this year's Shanghai Book Fair has made the 'stamp collecting' fever more apparent. 'Zhang You' is more willing to reveal their identity, encourage people around them to join the stamp collecting ranks, and also inspire cultural and tourism institutions on how to better combine stamp collecting with cultural promotion. Li Ying herself is a senior 'stamp friend'. In her opinion, stamps have cultural attributes and collectability. 'In the past, when we stamp on an item, it may mean' it belongs to me '. Now, more stamp stamping means' I have been here' and 'I have participated in this activity'."
A Contemporary Presentation of Traditional Culture
How did stamp style tourism become popular?
"The 2010 Shanghai World Expo was the earliest 'stamp ceremony' in my memory." Miss Zhu, who lives in Xuhui District, still retains her passport from the Expo that year. "My mother is even more 'crazy' than me. In order to collect stamps, I don't know how many times she went to the Expo, and she still talks about it." Seeing the stamp ceremony at this year's Shanghai Book Fair, she joked, "The 'genes' of stamps may have stayed in the blood of Shanghai people.". To this day, the World Expo Museum located on Mengzi Road still retains the traditional service of stamping. Since hosting the Shanghai World Expo commemorative exhibition, hundreds of stamps have been released, and almost every month they are updated.
On September 9, 2010, a tourist displayed a stamped "World Expo passport". A small "World Expo passport", as a special product, sold very well at the Shanghai World Expo, allowing tourists to stay at home and collect the unique stamps of various countries. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jue Guo
The 5th anniversary seal of the opening of the World Expo Museum provided by respondents
Data shows that among the popular travel keywords related to this year's Mid Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, "stamp" ranks second on the list, second only to self driving travel in terms of attention. The relevant person in charge of Tongcheng Research Institute believes that stamp style tourism brings more fun to young tourists, promotes their willingness to explore the diversity of attractions, and helps discover more unique experiences of "hidden" attractions and destinations. Stamped tourism has stronger interactivity and a sense of ceremony. Tourists need to visit scenic spots or unique places, and this process of personal participation makes the trip more memorable. Each stamp represents a visit to a certain place, becoming a part of memories.
"If you see a long queue at a tourist destination, the end of the queue is likely to be the stamp collection area." Zhang You "Xiaoyin told reporters that when planning a tourist destination, she has developed the habit of searching for" place name+stamp collection "on social media platforms. There are many strategies such as" where the stamp looks good, where the stamp does not queue, and how to plan a route to get the most stamps in a short time. "
"Cultural and tourism venues drive and attract consumers and visitors by designing a game like stamping process," analyzed Shen Han, a professor at the Department of Tourism at Fudan University. Nowadays, people's travel is no longer satisfied with just looking at the flowers, but to obtain a unique life experience.
Seals are also traditional Chinese art. According to historical records, seals originated during the Yin and Shang dynasties in China. From emperors, civil and military officials, to ordinary people and business dealings, seals were used to obtain trust. In addition to practical functions, seals are also endowed with artistic attributes. With the continuous evolution of writing, different aesthetics and production techniques, seals from different dynasties have distinct characteristics of the times, especially since the Ming and Qing dynasties, where famous masters have emerged and various schools of literati seal carving art have emerged.
Li Ying believes that seals are quite ancient cultural symbols, and the stamp culture that has emerged among young people can be said to be a contemporary representation of traditional culture. "Stamping was originally used as a form of tourism 'gameplay', possibly starting from Japan, Taiwan, and other regions. For example, in Japanese temples, imperial seals can be collected. Generally, a brush is used to write the date of worship, the name of the temple, and the name of the temple, and the seal is affixed. The so-called imperial seal tour can be seen as a travel route for collecting red seals. Some shops that have been open for a long time have seals. If you don't have a paper or notebook with which you can knock the seal at that time, you will buy a postcard to stamp it."
"Japanese people also 'learn' from ancient Chinese people. Tang Monk and his disciples went to the West to collect scriptures, held a customs clearance document, and had to stamp the seal of each country before they could travel, which may be an ancient 'stamp style tourism'. A creative answer from netizens received many likes.".
In the past, when there were paper tickets, I didn't stamp them very much. Nowadays, many places don't have paper tickets anymore. Stamp a museum or scenic spot stamp as a souvenir. In the eyes of some netizens, stamping replaces and supplements the missing space of paper tickets in the digital era.
Some netizens also believe that stamping can quickly get to know cultural and museum venues - "I usually first ask if there is a museum stamp or commemorative stamp, if there is a cultural and creative exhibition, and then find a place where I can stamp. It's like taking a rough tour of the museum, familiarizing myself with the route, and then slowly strolling around." "Stamping or visiting cultural and creative exhibitions first can even achieve the effect of previewing and highlighting the key points in advance, and it can also help me check for deficiencies and fill in gaps when I feel tired while watching exhibitions."
"Even the 'seal friends' who come specifically to stamp will take a closer look at the exhibition. We found that knocking on the seal does not bring about a check-in tour, but rather a more immersive visitor. Everyone will want to know the story and knowledge behind the seal they have stamped," said Li Ying.
On the afternoon of September 13th, readers stamped their seals at the Guqin Exhibition. Respondents provide
"Museums give people a heavy and towering impression. Stamp collection is very interesting and friendly, especially for children, which can stimulate their interest in learning and exploration. During the process of playing, they can touch history and experience culture." Ms. Wang, who often takes children to museums, suggested that museums and cultural tourism scenic spots can design more diverse stamp gameplay, such as adding Q&A sessions or small tasks to stamp collection check-in. Key elements can be found in museums and historical scenic spots to complete stamp collection tasks, making "stamp style tourism" a "treasure hunt map" that delves into traditional culture.
Record your own city map
On social media, "where to use the hard work stamp" has also been discussed by netizens. Some people have specially prepared stamp albums, and many cultural and museum institutions have launched special stamp albums. For example, the Shanghai Museum's "passport" for the Shanghai Museum can not only be stamped with exclusive special cultural relics commemorative medals, but also introduce unique cultural relics. At the same time, it is accompanied by blank areas for users to collect other stamps. Netizens exclaim "there is a sense of ceremony" and "Chinese style romance".
Some people put seals on postcards to exchange with their friends, or use them as creative elements for handbooks, while others directly create their own paintings or city maps by combining different seals. Carefully apply different colors and turn the black and white seal into a colorful one, like a colorful landscape painting of a city. "It records the beautiful sunset seen on the day of stamping, and as soon as you open your account book, you will immediately recall the beautiful scenery of that day," a netizen shared. At the Shanghai Book Fair in August, stamping with blank folding fans became a scene. "China already has literati fans, and the patterns, calligraphy, and seals on the folding fans are like a person's business card."
"Previously, the diving master in Tianjin became popular. I quickly saw on Xiaohongshu that a cultural and creative store in Tianjin had released the 'Diving Master Seal' and I really wanted to have it. In Xiaoyin's view, the seal has also become a quick response to urban cultural hotspots. 'Sometimes hotspots may pass, but the seal remains, becoming a memory. There are also relatively ancient intangible cultural heritage techniques, which may have been' raised in a deep boudoir 'and not be known by most people. A beautifully designed seal may make people desire to explore this unique urban culture.'"
"In fact, the meaning of stamping is a question that people who like to stamp often ask, and even I often ask myself, is it for collection? For commemoration? Even for 'roll'? What kind of reason is more convincing to me?" A Xiaohongshu netizen self analyzed, "Later on, I think that the pursuit of spiritual level must break away from the concepts of usefulness and uselessness, not seeking meaning, but seeking happiness. Being able to obtain happiness and satisfaction from a certain moment or thing may be the greatest meaning."
Last time I was stamping at a bookstore, someone nearby asked why so many people like to stamp. The salesperson said that this is a commemorative cultural and creative product that everyone can obtain with a small expense. I think she was quite right. Stamping may require physical effort and time, but it can also be used as a process to understand a place. As long as you are willing to walk in the city, there is not too much burden. Some people say that taking photos is enough, and the stamps are always the same as others. What's the point? But just like you can't guarantee that every time you write the same word, the stamps each person stamps are also different. The strength used and the carrier used for stamping are different, so when stamping, there is a difference. "Different moods make this chapter unique," expressed netizens.
The reporter observed that the seal has become a connecting point for online and offline flow guidance in cultural and tourism venues. The online sharing of "Chapter Friends" allows a location or venue to pass the seal through one to ten or ten to hundreds, arousing more people's interest and action in offline check-in. Some sharing strategies will guide the social media accounts of relevant venues, thereby attracting more people to pay attention to their content and potentially accumulating more loyal fans. It can be said that the small seal has become a skillful force to pry online and offline.
However, with the increasing popularity of stamping, various consumer seals have emerged in some places, and seals have become relatively crude tools for consumption; Some stamp collectors use the seal improperly, which damages the service life of the seal; Some venues lack maintenance of their seals, which greatly disappointed the eager stamp collectors. How to maintain a fresh and unchanging stamp culture requires more people to have a better understanding of stamp knowledge and culture, and to view the issue of "stamping" and its role in cultural and tourism consumption with a short-sighted perspective. In this way, the connection and interaction between people and cities symbolized by seals will be more vivid and lasting.
