Giving a modern twist to the oracle bone script

China's social media communicators have traveled back in time to create their latest emoji incarnations. Two new sets of emojis draw their inspiration from the Chinese oracle bone script, which dates back more than 3,000 years.

Dubbed "The Oracle Has Expressions" and "Chinese Zodiac Oracle", the emojis use the oracle bone script to illustrate online buzzwords and internet slang. They combine the pictographic nature of the characters found on ancient "oracle" bones with color and animation.

And they've gone viral, generating a fresh appreciation for the ancient relics.

"The emojis infuse modern design with traditional culture and bring ancient things to life," says an online post from "xihe99".

"They're the most highbrow emojis I know of, as they have profound cultural connotations," says another internet user.

Creator Chen Nan is a doctoral supervisor at the Department of Visual Communication Design at Tsinghua University.