Interactive film and television works open up a new track for cultural going global

Following online literature, online games, and short dramas, a new form of digital culture is going global and striking a chord with audiences. The domestically produced live-action interactive work *Flourishing Dynasty* has recently seen its total series sales exceed 5 million copies, launched in 9 language versions, and topped the iOS paid charts in multiple countries including South Korea and Singapore.

"It is neither a TV drama nor a game, but a grand production in which users personally participate," Shan Mi, the chief producer of *Flourishing Dynasty*, said in an interview. "Interactive film and television attracts in-depth engagement from overseas users with a low-threshold format. As users immerse themselves deeper into the experience, they subtly absorb traditional Chinese culture, and even take the initiative to explore the profound heritage of Chinese history and culture."

Different from traditional film and television works or games, interactive productions no longer keep the audience watching passively behind a screen. Instead, they invite users to step in from a first-person perspective, "sharing the same breath and destiny" with the characters through every choice they make.

"Every choice a user makes has the potential to shift the direction of the plot," Shan Mi noted. One of the reasons interactive film and television has become a blue-ocean segment in domestic and global content markets in recent years is that many modern audiences are no longer satisfied with "observing the fates of others from behind a screen" — they want to "personally steer the direction of the story."

Developed by New One Studio, an independent team focused on interactive narrative, *Flourishing Dynasty* opens by laying out the core premise: "You are the protagonist of the story." Users only need to complete two simple interactions — "push open the palace gate" and "claim your identity" — to be drawn directly into the narrative.

As for what makes the work resonate with overseas users, Shan Mi believes that audiences unfamiliar with Chinese history or with no prior gaming experience can achieve deep engagement with the content simply through the familiar format of "watching a drama." The worldview and surrounding environment are gradually built up through the user's subsequent experiences. As users dive deeper into the story, many foreigners have grown fond of "osmanthus paste," tried Chinese "poetry mini-games," and even taken the initiative to watch documentaries on Chinese historical themes to learn more about traditional Chinese culture.

"This kind of cultural interest spontaneously driven by content comes naturally," Shan Mi said. Compared with one-way cultural dissemination, the "quietly nourishing" approach is far more easily accepted by audiences. She explained that to open a window for users who want to delve deeper into Chinese culture, *Flourishing Dynasty* has a dedicated "All-Wonders Museum" section that collects key props from the series with detailed annotated explanations, serving as an entry point for overseas users to further explore Chinese culture.

The production team collaborated with scholars to restore the nearly lost ancient boardgame Shuanglu, tying the outcome of each game match to the factions of different characters in the story. The replicated string-puppet performance, an intangible cultural heritage craft, forms a dual metaphor for the characters' destinies. Ancient delicacies such as sugar-fried pastries and flower-patterned rice cakes appear as "bonding tokens" between characters. The black-and-gold ceremonial robe worn by the female protagonist for her enthronement took 45 days to make, inspiring many users to look up materials on imperial etiquette to understand its cultural background.

"Whether users are based domestically or halfway across the world, there are so many stories that have moved me and the entire production team," she recalled. At a fan meeting in Seoul, South Korea, some users personally handwrote letters in Chinese for the creative team, leaving a deep impression. Another user hugged a Chinese magazine tightly, saying that the production had sparked her interest in traditional Chinese culture and that she would definitely travel to China in the future.

Behind the global expansion of interactive film and television lies the accumulated overall strength of China's digital cultural industry. Online literature, web series, and online games are now collectively known as the "three new pillars" of cultural exports. According to data from the State Administration of Radio and Television Think Tank, the overseas revenue of China's self-developed games reached 20.455 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, exceeding 100 billion yuan for six consecutive years. Among them, the global cumulative sales of *Black Myth: Wukong* have surpassed 30 million copies, with overseas sales accounting for more than half of the total. This work, which integrates the traditional mythology of *Journey to the West* with Eastern aesthetics, has inspired a large number of overseas players to proactively study the original novel, creating a communication effect where the product drives cultural awareness.

The film sector also stands out. Theater data shows that *Ne Zha 2* has grossed over 69 million U.S. dollars at the overseas box office, released simultaneously in more than 770 theaters across North America. Both its pre-sales box office and release schedule set new records for Chinese-language films in nearly 20 years. The emotional theme of "my fate is mine to command, not the heavens" transcends cultural barriers and sparked a viewing craze in overseas markets.

From *Black Myth: Wukong* and *Ne Zha 2*, which use universal human emotions as a bridge to seamlessly integrate traditional Chinese culture into global narratives, to *Flourishing Dynasty*, which brings audiences at home and abroad closer to Chinese culture through the format of "personal participation," the channels for Chinese cultural exports are continuously expanding. Looking back on the creation of *Flourishing Dynasty*, Shan Mi affirmed the value of persistence: "Many times, it is a process of building something from scratch. Only through continuous exploration can we unlock new possibilities."

Source: Xinhua News Agency Client