Chinese stories can only be be seen for their uniqueness and be understood through their universality by addressing the superficiality, fragmentation, and otherization in content production. This allows them to continuously thrive in both modern and global contexts.
Recently, the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference adopted a resolution to designate March 21 as International Tai Chi Day. This date coincides with the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, where the natural rhythm of balanced day and night, moderate cold and heat resonates with the philosophical essence of Tai Chi, which emphasizes the harmony between humanity and nature. The establishment of International Tai Chi Day showcases the charm of China's excellent traditional culture and holds significant importance for promoting human health and well-being, fostering cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and advancing world peace and development.
In recent years, the global reach of Chinese culture has become increasingly prominent, with its influence continuously expanding. From the overseas popularity of domestic cultural products such as the Palace Museum's cultural and creative items and the Tang Palace Night Banquet dance performance to games like Black Myth: Wukong and Genshin Impact topping download charts in over 100 countries and regions, and the launch of high-quality Chinese web novels on platforms like Webnovel, the global dissemination of Chinese culture vividly showcases China's history and reality, tradition and innovation, wisdom and aspirations.
The success of phenomenal cultural IPs marks a profound transformation in the global reach of Chinese culture—from quantitative expansion to qualitative enhancement, and from product export to value dissemination. Three perspectives can be observed: cultural foundation, ecosystem expansion, and algorithmic breakthrough.
Content is king, and cultural heritage forms the foundation. China’s excellent traditional culture is the source of sustainable global reach. For instance, the game Justice Online constructs its visual system with the aesthetics of the Song Dynasty, while the TV series The Hidden Palace tells a suspenseful story using intangible cultural heritage elements. Their secret to popularity lies in transforming traditional cultural genes into perceptible and interactive narratives. The more national a culture is, the more global it becomes. Only by upholding the essence of cultural heritage and innovating in forms of expression, creatively transforming and innovatively developing China’s excellent traditional culture, can the challenges of superficiality, fragmentation, and otherization in content production be addressed. This enables Chinese stories to be seen for their uniqueness and be understood through their universality, allowing them to thrive continuously in modern and global contexts.
Communication is key, and ecosystem expansion is essential. Currently, the global reach of Chinese culture is transitioning from single-product export to ecosystem building. For example, China Literature Group has transplanted its mature domestic platform mechanisms overseas. Through localized operations, as of the first half of this year, it has nurtured over 500,000 overseas creators who have produced 770,000 works, forming a complete ecosystem of content monetization—author contracts—reader interaction. Simultaneously, through IP licensing and cooperative development, it has innovated IP development and promotion models overseas. Ecosystem building requires efforts to construct an integrated online and offline, physical and digital network for international communication, upgrading one-way dissemination to global co-creation. It also involves actively expanding international cultural friendships, aggregating high-quality resources, building a diverse and collaborative global cultural communication network, and creating a new landscape for civilizational dialogue.
Technology serves as the tool, and algorithms drive breakthroughs. New technologies, represented by artificial intelligence, are reshaping the underlying logic of the global reach of Chinese culture, enabling personalized and interactive cultural experiences. For instance, AI translation accounts for over 50% of translated works on most platforms, breaking through cross-language communication barriers. AI technology can also be applied to content distribution, enabling personalized recommendations for readers. In the future, by accelerating the construction of high-quality cultural corpora, developing intelligent creation platforms, and driving cultural products toward mobility, customization, interactivity, and immersion, the transition from people searching for content to content understanding people can be achieved. This will foster a new ecosystem for the global reach of Chinese culture, driven by data, intelligent collaboration, industrial synergy, and shared value.
Cultural confidence is deeply rooted, and the global reach of Chinese culture holds broad prospects. We must continuously enhance the nation’s cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture, allowing it to flourish even more vibrantly and shine with greater brilliance in the global garden of civilizations.
Author's Biography: Wu Xili is a professor and doctoral supervisor at South China University of Technology, as well as a nationally recognized teaching expert in curriculum ideology and politics.
Source: People's Daily (December 3)
