Enjoy meals alongside a national treasure in Wuxi

The KFC in downtown Wuxi's Chong'an Temple is traditionally decorated, making customers feel as though they are being transported to ancient China.[Photo/Weibo account: wuxishenghuo]

National Treasure, a popular CCTV cultural program, where each episode features short skits by celebrities to introduce three key exhibits from a specific museum, has fired up interest in historic national treasures among Chinese television audiences.

The KFC located in downtown Wuxi's Chongan Temple has been decorated to resemble Furong Shuanglu Tu, a famous Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painting that depicts hibiscus mutabilis flowers and a pair of herons. The traditional decorations make customers feel as though they are being transported back in time to ancient China.

Furong Shuanglu Tu, on display at the National Museum of China, was painted by Wuxi-born artist Zou Yigui (1686-1772). Leading fast food retailer KFC has cooperated with the National Museum of China, using 17 national treasures to decorate 18 restaurants around the nation, including ones in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Suzhou.

Every aspect of these themed restaurants has been meticulously designed. Posters, packaging, and even tray paper inserts all feature elements of a national treasure.

Leading fast food retailer KFC cooperated with the National Museum of China, using 17 national treasures to decorate 18 restaurants around the nation. [Photo/Weibo account: wuxishenghuo]

On Feb 2, models from Wuxi Pretty Venus Town Photo Corp held a show at the Chong'an Temple KFC, wearing ancient Chinese costumes from the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Yu Xi, a member of the China Arts and Crafts Association, was invited to the event to demonstrate her Chinese traditional painting skills. As an iconic work of Chinese traditional painting, Furong Shuanglu Tu has received high praise from Yu.

"The themed KFC brings national treasures into the daily lives of Wuxi citizens. Instead of being passively displayed in textbooks or chic museums, these national treasures, imbued with a nation's history, are now expressing themselves in lively ways", Yu said.