The mascots of the Palace Museum meet the public in Xiamen, Fujian province on Sunday. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Feng said the mascots issued this time wear costumes from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and in the future it's expected more mascots will wear costumes from other dynasties.

An online shopping mall for the museum will open on Jan 1, 2015 and cultural products, including the mascots, will be delivered to households around the world, Feng added.

The mascots have stirred heated discussion on Sina Weibo, attracting more than 22,000 comments. Some said they are cute while others said they are ugly.

Sina Weibo user "Fangmenglifetianxia" said the mascots not only have great visual effect but also represent Chinese culture's glamour.

Another Internet user, "Wenzisuogu", said the dragon mascot looks ferocious while the phoenix looks like a parrot.

Some are interested in the mascots, saying they are good gifts for foreign friends.