Story Summary

After the sun goes down, the lights come on. Don’t assume that everything is quiet and still inside the exhibition galleries at the National Palace Museum! That’s because every evening, after the last visitor has left the Museum, the works of painting and calligraphy and antiquities in the exhibition galleries come alive, throwing a party, chatting about everyday things, or just creating a general ruckus. The plot of this film involves three characters come to life--a child pillow, a jade duck, and a pi-hsieh evil-averting animal. These three friends often romp around playing together. However, one night during their revelry, they lost one of the insects perched on the famous jadeite cabbage on exhibit, leading them on a chase of the insect around the premises. How does it end? Just wait and see…

Characters in the Film

“Child Pillow”: This character is based on a ceramic pillow molded into the shape of a young upper-class child. With incision and molding techniques for decoration, the ivory-white glaze echoes the pure innocence of childhood. The animation makes use of the innate naturalness of children to create a lively character who is curious and untainted by the ways of the world.

“Jade Duck”: The jade from which this character derives is simply carved into the form of a duck, but it nonetheless magnificently captures details of the tail feathers and the plump quality of its body. The cute and lively features have a natural charm all their own. The film presents this character as somewhat foolish and not that sharp, being the troublemaker in the group here.

“Pi-hsieh Beast”: This character is based on a Han dynasty jade carving representing a symbol of wisdom and courage. In the past, it would have appeared in the imperial palace, a treasured object for protection against evil. With this in mind, the animated short utilizes the qualities of self-confidence and resoluteness to mold a character that naturally serves as the leader in the film.