China's epic fantasy blockbuster triggers audience to learn history from museums

China's new epic fantasy blockbuster Feng Shen, or Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, has walked into museums, introducing the audience to the real historical and cultural touch of the Shang Dynasty (about 1,600 to 1,100 BC) when the movie's story is set upon.

The movie's art and character designs gained rich inspiration from the Shang Dynasty. Cultural elements of bronzeware, jade ware and oracle bones can be seen throughout the movie.

The archaeological site of Yin, the capital of the Shang Dynasty, is in Henan Province and has become the current Yinxu Museum, or the Ruins of Yin. Joining hands with the Henan Museum, it unveils an even grander story of that mysterious ancient era, providing the audience a deeper understanding of the culture behind the movie.

"I recognized that some movie soundtracks are adapted from The Book of Songs. Today, when I saw the cultural relics from that era in the museum, I realized that the movie did a good job at integrating the history into the story. It's also wonderful to have a movie like this during the Spring Festival," said Ye Zi, a museum visitor.

Visitor Shen Xiaolong was mesmerized by the decorative patterns of the Shang Dynasty in the movie and decided to come see their details up close.

"I watched Creation of the Gods in the morning, and I was impressed by those elaborate utensils and the patterns on the props. I could only recognize the Taotie pattern. I'm not familiar with the others. I know the Henan Museum has a large collection of beautiful bronzeware from the Shang Dynasty, so I came here to observe and learn the meaning of those patterns," said Shen.

The museums also seize the great opportunity to spark people's interest in history and culture and to spread knowledge via fun interactions. The Henan Museum provides innovative cultural products combining the movie with the history to attract movie fans, while museum guides of the Yinxu Museum lead visitors to find familiar elements from the relics.

Wu Wei, director of the research department of the Henan Museum, explained how the movie and museums complement each other on introducing Shang's history and culture to the public.

"The audience may see an Oriental fairy tale about the history of the Shang Dynasty in the movie theater, but when they come to the Henan Museum and other related museums, they will see a more authentic history of the dynasty. Between the movie and museums, we can show the charm of our excellent traditional Chinese culture in a more all-round way," said Wu.

The good intentions are well-received by the visitors. Chen Jinghua expressed her excitement after visiting the museum and watching the movie.

"I think the movie gives us an opportunity to learn more about our culture which I'm very proud of. After seeing all the cultural relic exhibitions, I feel that our country has produced and reserved so many treasures. As a Chinese person, I feel very proud," said Chen.

China's epic fantasy blockbuster triggers audience to learn history from museums

Hengdian World Studios, a film and TV theme park in Hengdian of east China's Zhejiang Province, is enjoying surging popularity among international tourists thanks to the booming Chinese film industry.

Dubbed "China's Hollywood", Hengdian is one of the largest real-life film and television shooting bases in the world, and is the filming location for popular films such as war blockbuster "The Battle at Lake Changjin."

To further boost cultural and tourism industries, Hengdian has also introduced immersive experience programs such as being movie extras and performances by movie professionals.

Wearing ancient Chinese costumes and holding related props, Dabira Vianny, a student from Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo, has fully enjoyed his character in a swordsman-themed movie scene at the experience zone of movie extras with his friend.

"I like Chinese movies very much. We've watched Chinese Kung Fu movies and historical movies, and movies starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Bruce Lee," said Vianny.

Vianny and his African friend planned a travel route to filming locations for themselves, and visited Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Jinhua to experience Chinese landscapes and historical culture during the trip. They also shared what they saw and heard during the trip with their family and friends through photos and videos.

"They in our home country can see what China is like. If they have the chance, they can come to tour China," he said.

With China's further relaxation and optimization of the transit visa-free policy and growing interest in Chinese films, the number of foreign tourists to the Hengdian World Studios in 2024 increased nearly 10 times year on year, according to related officials.

"As Hengdian has had all the historical scenes of the past 5,000 years in China miniatured, you can see all of the past 5,000 years in just three days in one city. As a demo social media spot for traveling to China, it provides a very concise and effective way for these tourists to plan their in-depth China tours next time," said Guo Shu, head of the international business department of Hengdian World Studios.

Hengdian World Studios enjoys surging popularity in China tourism