Novel calendars go beyond their use-by date

TIANJIN - When Du Xin, 32, recently picked up a calendar at a Tianjin bookstore, he was one of a growing number of customers wanting more than an unadorned old-style one.

With a crimson and dark green cover and bound by two golden rings, the beautiful calendar featured many traditional Chinese elements.

"Many people don't use calendars anymore, but I think calendars today have become more delicate, interesting and very different from those in the past," Du said.

Traditionally, calendars have played an important role in Chinese culture. They provide lunar dates that guide agricultural life and advice on what to do each day. Many people used them to select auspicious days for weddings, funerals, moving house or starting a business.

In recent years their popularity has declined, as younger generations turn to digital calendars on smartphones. However, sales have recently rebounded, with creative calendars, novel designs and interesting content regenerating young people's interest.

Du's calendar is one of them. Nearly 300,000 similar calendars were sold nationwide last year, said Wang Lei, manager of Sisyphe bookstore in Tianjin.

Apart from displaying the date, the pages of Du's calendar pages include wise words on how to live, and excerpts from classical literature.

For example, on Jan 24, Chinese New Year's Eve and a day for family reunions, a question on the calendar asks "Have you returned home tonight?" It's accompanied by an excerpt from Chinese writer Lao She describing people's celebrations.

Zhou Xiaowei, product manager of Sisyphe Calendar, said customers buy the calendar more for its creativity than simply checking dates. "They want the calendar to express their individuality," she said.

Wang, the shop manager, said customers also buy the calendars as gifts for relatives and friends.

Another product, the Owspace Desk Calendar, is marketed as an old calendar for a new generation, while drawing inspiration from traditional calendars.

The black-and-white calendar requires people to tear off the date in order to move on to the next one. It was also designed with dos and don'ts, offering advice such as "Don't do nothing today" or "Stop daydreaming".

Xue Jing, product director of Owspace, said that it usually takes eight to 10 months to design a calendar and edit the content. The company sold 70,000 copies in 2015, and sales surged to over 350,000 in 2018.

Creative and specific designs are seen on other calendars. The Palace Museum's themed calendar for 2020 features the architecture of the Forbidden City, as well as images of related cultural relics and stories. It has become one of the museum's most popular souvenirs.

The calendar of movie-rating site Douban, features film stills and classic movie lines, and the National Museum of China has released a 2020 calendar featuring information about cultural relics.

"Calendars can inspire personal feelings," Du said. "For me, I feel a moment slip by when I turn the page."