We checked out the 2021 Miyazaki Hayao & Ghibli’s World Animation Art Exhibition at Today’s Art Museum in Shuangjing to bring you the highlights, plus we put together a little Quiz Mission to help your kiddos stay focused while exploring the show!
First, the highlights!
- Kids under 1.2m get free admission! Meanwhile, an adult ticket will set you back RMB 88 if you book it online (even if you do it at the door, which I did) on a weekday, and RMB 118 on weekends. You can also get a VIP ticket that gives you Fast Entry for RMB 158. If you’re going on a weekend, definitely get this or you might spend over an hour just waiting to enter!
- The exhibition spans three floors in the museum, with the option of elevators for those with strollers and wheelchairs.
- Dress up as your favorite Studio Ghibli character for photo opportunities with Totoro from the acclaimed Miyazaki film My Neighbor Totoro, and step into the film’s fantastic Cat Bus!
- Grab an exclusive postcard on the activity floor (second story) but don’t smudge the freshly-inked stamp! You can also color it at the drawing tables provided.
- Hold on to your wallets – there’s plenty of adorable merchandise available towards the end of the exhibition so be sure to discuss with your kids ahead of time how much they are allowed to spend. Insider Tip: The No-Face character (Spirited Away) battery-operated coin bank is quite expensive at RMB 520. Conversely, the regular museum shop has some cheaper and equally fun offerings, such as Djeco wind-up music boxes.
- The museum is located in a pretty nice and clean neighborhood that the kids can explore afterward, so planning to go early will allow you time to enjoy an afternoon stroll plus an early dinner at Plan B down the road.
While the exhibition’s display is entirely in Chinese, the main draw (haha geddit?!) for any Studio Ghibli lover is the hand-drawn sketches, which require no translation for all to enjoy. Of course, if you’re interested in the technical details of bringing these images from the page to the screen, then be armed with your translator app.
Next, to help your little ones make the most of your visit, we’ve put together a Quiz Mission to keep them engaged throughout the exhibition.
Miyazaki On A Mission!
Alright kids, here’s your mission – find all the answers to the following questions as you make your way through the exhibit!
Top Floor – where you start
- As you enter the exhibition and walk through Howl’s Moving Castle, what color is the arrow pointing at? (Red)
- In the room with all the movie posters, how many animal heroes can you see featured on the posters? (At least eight)
- Still in the poster room, how many female heroines can you see featured on the posters? (At least 18)
- What does Totoro carry in his hand? (Umbrella)
- What is hanging off of Kiki’s broomstick? (An old transistor radio)
- What is the color of Porco Rosso’s plane? (Red)
- What is the color of Susuke’s pail? (Green)
- What does Arietty use to tie up her hair? (A clothes peg)
Third Floor
- What year was the first film that you see, Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, made? (1984)
- How many raccoons or tanuki do you see in the poster for the film Pom Poko? (Nine)
- How many forest spirits are there in the wall mural of Princess Mononoke? (At least four)
- Can you count how many of Ponyo’s sisters are swimming next to her on the wall mural? (At least 24)
- How many books are on display in the glass shelves in the grey-walled room with the jar of colored pencils? (Seven)
- Just for fun, make a wild guess how many colored pencils you think are inside the huge jar in the room!
Hopefully, these questions help your kids get to know the wonderful films of Miyazaki Hayao and Studio Ghibli a little more. If you want to watch the films, download the Pumpkin movie app or others like it to watch it on local servers here!
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Images: Vivienne Tseng-Rush
