On April 20 local time, the 2026 Milan Design Week officially opened in Milan, Italy. With the approval of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the China-Italy Joint Exhibition and a series of events of Milan Design Week were grandly opened at the Tortona 31 – Opificio 31 – TEXTILE-forte exhibition zone simultaneously. As an innovative representative of traditional Chinese medicine culture, Tiantan Culture & Tiantan Xiaoai made a wonderful appearance, revitalizing oriental herbal culture with modern creativity. It became a shining business card conveying oriental health-preserving wisdom in the themed activity of “Cultural Innovation and Chinese Expression”, and won extensive attention and praise from international audiences on site.
From left to right in the front row: Luca, Co-founder of Milan Design Week and Co-initiator of the Milan Design Week China-Italy Joint Body; Boseli, President of the Italy-China Council Foundation; Zheng Dongli, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Milan; Wang Xinyi, Cultural Consul of the Chinese Consulate General in Milan; Wang Lu, Deputy General Manager of China Arts and Entertainment Group.
This event was co-sponsored by China Arts and Entertainment Group, China National Culture and Art Foundation, and Italy Association of Fashion, Culture and Art, with academic support from the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Italy Heritage International Research Institute, and special support from the Organizing Committee of Milan Design Week (Fuorisalone). Through diverse forms such as art exhibitions, interactive experiences and academic forums, the event showcased the fruitful achievements of Chinese cultural inheritance and design innovation. The exhibition zone was equipped with featured interactive projects such as digital cultural experience, intangible cultural heritage skill demonstrations and cultural and creative displays, creating an immersive cross-cultural experience for Chinese and foreign audiences.
Mr. Zheng Dongli, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Milan, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.
Luca, Co-founder of Milan Design Week and Initiator of the Milan Design Week China-Italy Joint Body, delivered a speech.
At the opening ceremony, the organizing committee presented a number of major awards after professional review:
Best Innovation Award: Sun Zai Meng · Tiantan Xiaoai, STARAY, Huazhu Shengjing
Best Creativity Award: Ottica Cristina & Willy, Raxxy, Remy Bear
Best Communication Award: Guangzhou Taomin Culture, Sanshan Wuyuan Culture and Art Center
Finalist Award: Guangzhou Fengniao Workshop Tea Culture Co., Ltd., Yunnan Shujian Tea Co., Ltd.
Tiantan Xiaoai appeared on the same stage with the award-winning projects and outstanding cultural and creative works of the Design Week, jointly forming a showcase of the in-depth integration of traditional Chinese culture and contemporary design, and vividly interpreting the innovative vitality and cultural confidence of “Chinese Expression”.
Mr. Sun Yiping, Founder of Tiantan Xiaoai, delivered an acceptance speech.
As an important part of this China-Italy cultural exchange, the appearance of Tiantan Xiaoai is not only an important practice for Tiantan cultural and creative products to step onto the international stage, but also explores a feasible path for traditional culture to innovate and go global from a small entry point, injecting new momentum into the spread of oriental TCM culture on the global design stage. It is reported that the “Milan Design Week · China-Italy Joint Body” event will last until April 26, and a series of special exchanges and interactive experiences will be held subsequently to further promote in-depth dialogue and win-win cooperation between China and Italy in culture, design and creativity.
Mugwort is a classic symbol of traditional Chinese medicine and folk culture in China, carrying thousands of years of oriental health-preserving wisdom. Tiantan Xiaoai deeply explores the cultural heritage of Tiantan, breaks through the limitations of traditional mugwort culture presentation, innovatively interprets the core connotation of TCM culture with international and youthful design language, breaks cross-cultural communication barriers with creative carriers, enables overseas audiences to intuitively experience the unique value of TCM culture and the charm of oriental aesthetics, and helps traditional Chinese medicine elements achieve efficient overseas communication.
Beijing Zhi’ai Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute is an institution that owns Tiantan architectural design patents and related copyrights and trademarks. It has established a strategic cooperative relationship with Beijing Tiantan Culture and Industry Co., Ltd. and is responsible for global IP operation. Its products have been designated as official goods for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and it has cooperated with the France Traditional Chinese Medicine Center to promote TCM culture. The core product is the Zhi’ai Tiantan Series, which integrates traditional Chinese medicine and modern technology, aiming to inherit TCM culture and promote a healthy lifestyle.
