The 34th National Book Expo is currently underway in Hangzhou, where a forum on the 'New Three' cultural innovations – online literature, web series, and online games – is taking place today (July 24th) at the main venue. This event focuses on how these three sectors can better expand globally, gathering nearly 200 industry representatives and university scholars. The core competitive advantage of Chinese cultural exports is an 'irreplaceable cultural identity,' a point repeatedly emphasized during the discussions.
The domestic martial arts game Yanyun Shiliu Sheng, set against the backdrop of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period and the Song Dynasty, achieved global multi-platform bestseller status after its release last November, setting a new record for domestic martial arts games going overseas. Game product planner Huang Mao explained, 'Traditional culture provides immense inspiration for our game design. For example, the recently launched Jiangnan version drew heavily from the ancient painting Xihu Qinqu Tu. What is national is global. If we tell Chinese stories well, they can become world stories and world martial arts that resonate with more people.'
Among the 'New Three' cultural exports, micro-dramas, acting as 'light cavalry' in the overseas push, are opening new tracks with their lightweight, fragmented communication advantages. Early this year, the micro-drama Ma Nian Xian Ding Zhi Xin Chun You Yue, produced by Hangzhou Capacity Interactive Entertainment Technology Co., Ltd., surpassed 150 million global views within four days of its launch, with over 80 million views from overseas markets. It was translated into 20 languages and reached over 100 countries and regions. Company editor-in-chief Hu Chaoqing attributed this success to AI translation and automated advertising systems, emphasizing that content creation must actively embrace technological change. 'In the era of live-action dramas, production costs could reach around one million yuan or even higher. In the AIGC era, costs might drop to one or two hundred thousand, or three hundred thousand yuan. With AIGC technology, constraints like actor schedules, time, location, and weather vanish. Content creators only need to combine imagination with technology. As technology advances, our focus is on how to tell good stories while embracing rapid technological change,' Hu said.
From historical epics to modern tales, from Eastern philosophy to ink-wash aesthetics, overseas users engaging in dramas, reading, and games are not only encountering Chinese cultural symbols but also experiencing the spiritual essence and innovative vitality behind them. Zeng Fanwen, Executive Dean of the Cultural Industry Research Institute at Renmin University of China, predicted that over the next three to five years, the core transformation path for the 'New Three' cultural exports can be summarized in three key terms: AI reshaping, IP connection, and ecosystem expansion. 'In the next three to five years, AI will fully permeate the entire chain of scripts, translation, dubbing, editing, and advertising. Previously, online literature, web series, and online games operated independently. Now, a synergistic chain has formed where online literature provides IP, short dramas quickly validate concepts, and games solidify value. Future competition will be about the service systems of cities' overseas expansion capabilities. Ultimately, moving from 'going out' to 'going in' means upgrading from 'selling products abroad' to 'building brands overseas,' and from 'traffic-driven' to 'value-driven.' This requires coordination among government, enterprises, and platforms,' Zeng explained.
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