Pop Culture × Real Artifacts

The Real Artifacts Behind the Worlds You Love

Black Myth: Wukong's bronze gods. Genshin Impact's Liyue Harbor. The Forbidden City in Empresses in the Palace. Every modern Chinese myth is built on real artifacts — and we can show you exactly which ones.

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All Inspirations

Genshin Impact — Liyue
Game

2020 · miHoYo / HoYoverse

Genshin Impact — Liyue

Liyue is the Chinese-inspired region of Genshin Impact, a free-to-play open-world RPG with over 60 million monthly active players worldwide.

3 artifacts

Empresses in the Palace
TV Series

2011 · Ruyi Xinxin / Dragon TV

Empresses in the Palace

A 76-episode Qing Dynasty palace drama that became one of the most-watched Chinese television shows of all time and a global cultural phenomenon on Netflix.

3 artifacts

Ne Zha 2
Film

2025 · Coco Cartoon / Beijing Enlight

Ne Zha 2

The highest-grossing animated film in world history, Ne Zha 2 reached over USD 2 billion at the global box office by mixing classic Chinese mythology with cutting-edge animation.

2 artifacts

Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms
Film

2023 · Beijing Culture

Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms

An epic adaptation of the Ming Dynasty mythological novel Fengshen Yanyi, set during the fall of the Shang Dynasty — the same historical moment as the Simuwu Ding and Sanxingdui civilization.

4 artifacts

Mulan
Film

1998 · Walt Disney Feature Animation

Mulan

Disney's Mulan remains one of the most globally recognized gateways into Chinese legend, turning the Ballad of Mulan into a cross-cultural story of family, disguise, warfare, and imperial service.

3 artifacts

The Untamed
TV Series

2019 · Tencent Penguin Pictures / New Style Media

The Untamed

The Untamed turned xianxia cultivation drama into a global fandom phenomenon, making swords, flutes, ritual objects, sect emblems, and mountain compounds instantly recognizable to viewers far beyond China.

4 artifacts

Total War: Three Kingdoms
Game

2019 · Creative Assembly / Sega

Total War: Three Kingdoms

Total War: Three Kingdoms introduced millions of strategy players to Chinese historical warfare, court intrigue, faction legitimacy, and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms heroic tradition.

4 artifacts

Kung Fu Panda
Film

2008 · DreamWorks Animation

Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda transformed Chinese martial-arts imagery, animal symbolism, temple architecture, food culture, and scroll mythology into one of the world's most recognizable animated franchises.

4 artifacts

Story of Yanxi Palace
TV Series

2018 · Huanyu Film / iQiyi

Story of Yanxi Palace

With over 15 billion views on iQiyi alone, Story of Yanxi Palace became the most-Googled TV show worldwide in 2018 — a Qing Dynasty drama praised for its obsessively accurate reproduction of Forbidden City material culture.

4 artifacts

Nirvana in Fire
TV Series

2015 · Daylight Entertainment / Shandong TV

Nirvana in Fire

Rated 9.4/10 on Douban (China's IMDb), Nirvana in Fire is widely considered the greatest Chinese political drama ever made — a story of court intrigue, loyalty, and justice set during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

4 artifacts

Chinese Zodiac (CZ12)
Film

2012 · JCE Movies / Emperor Motion Pictures

Chinese Zodiac (CZ12)

Jackie Chan's passion project about the hunt for the twelve Yuanmingyuan zodiac bronze heads — a high-budget action-adventure film that brought the story of China's most famous looted treasures to global audiences.

3 artifacts

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Game

2025 · Leenzee Games

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

A Chinese soulslike action RPG set in the chaotic final years of the Ming Dynasty, trending again in 2026 through PlayStation Plus and renewed global interest in Chinese-made historical fantasy games.

4 artifacts

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Games

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Films

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TV Seriess