Qilu Has a Spirit: Xiao Qiu

Shandong possesses rich historical and cultural resources, yet presenting them primarily as knowledge or educational information can create a sense of distance for younger audiences. By breaking down and recombining representative cultural elements and giving them a concrete character—“Xiao Qiu”—the project uses personality, visual identity, and storytelling to create a more approachable and memorable cultural carrier.

I extracted representative visual elements from Shandong culture and developed the concept, character design, and visual extensions for Xiao Qiu. Cultural elements were mapped onto the character’s personality and visual features, allowing the character to function not only as a recognizable visual figure but also as a vehicle for cultural storytelling.

This project deepened my interest in the translation of cultural content from “traditional elements” into contemporary forms of expression. Making traditional culture more approachable is not simply about making it look cuter; it requires reconsidering what should be retained and how character, language, and visual storytelling can bring cultural content into contemporary understanding. Xiao Qiu is therefore not only an IP character, but also an attempt to create a way for regional culture to be encountered, remembered, and explored further.