Yearly goldfish exhibition opens

The 2024 goldfish exhibition, co-organized by the Beijing Aquatic Product Technology Promotion Department, opened to the public at Prince Kung's Palace Museum at the end of last month. 

It is the third consecutive year that the museum has hosted a goldfish-themed exhibition, following the 2022 debut at Anshan Hall and the immersive exhibition in 2023, both of which left a lasting impression on visitors.

Beijing has a long-standing tradition of breeding and appreciating Chinese goldfish. 

The 2024 exhibition is themed on "A Taste of Beijing", with the outdoor exhibition area featuring scenes such as "Strolling through Prince Kung's Palace", "Old Beijing’s Goldfish Farms", "Goldfish for Sale", "Courtyards of Goldfish Enthusiasts", and "Evolution of Goldfish Ponds". On display are 36 varieties of goldfish, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the rich history and culture of Beijing’s goldfish tradition. 

Inside the exhibition hall, the cultural display highlights various aspects of Beijing's goldfish, including their breeding equipment, viewing vessels, historical development and cultural heritage.

Many rare and historically significant court goldfish varieties are on display at the exhibition. Among them are the Blue Egg-fish with Phoenix Tail, the adorable Red and White Celestial Eye, the majestic Red Lion-head, and the amusing Egg-fish with Narial Bouquets. Each goldfish has been carefully selected, representing the highest level of contemporary goldfish breeding craftsmanship.

Chinese goldfish, the earliest artificially selected ornamental fish in the world, symbolize peace, prosperity, good fortune, happiness and beauty. In Chinese, "鱼" meaning fish is homophone of "余" meaning surplus and "玉" meaning jade. Accordingly, goldfish in China carry auspicious meanings, such as "abundance year after year" (Liannian you yu) and embody the traditional blessings of wealth (Jin yu mantang).

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the organizers of the 2024 goldfish exhibition extended heartfelt wishes for the continued prosperity of the country, through the auspicious symbolism of goldfish and the museum’s signature "Fu" (blessings) character written by the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1662-1722).

The exhibition will run until Oct 13, 2024.