Ancient civilization joins digital ecosystem

In the mobile game Honor of Kings, Bronze represents a player's entry-level ranking. Each player's journey begins with bronze. At the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan province, bronze artifacts mark the height of a civilization that flourished more than three millennia ago.

As ancient civilizations enter the mass digital entertainment ecosystem, games are increasingly being requested to serve as new forms of cultural mediation.

This year, these two worlds collide. To celebrate the game's 10th anniversary, Honor of Kings is collaborating with the Sanxingdui Museum and renowned film director Zhang Yimou to unveil Sanxingdui-inspired in-game skins — a series that transforms ancient bronze relics into digital symbols.

Drawing on the civilization's most iconic imagery, from its haunting eyes to the sacred bronze tree, the collaboration reintroduces the mystery and power of the ancient Shu culture to millions of players, proving that even the oldest stories can find new life on a modern battlefield.

While enabling players to experience the enduring allure of millennia-old bronze culture within the game, it also represents another step forward in the Sanxingdui Museum's exploration of digital engagement. Located in Guanghan, Sichuan, the museum has spent the past decade committed to "bringing cultural relics to life" through the use of digital technologies.

"Sanxingdui is famous because, at the site, we discovered a large number of bronze, jade and gold artifacts," says Zhu Yarong, deputy director of the Sanxingdui management committee. "These relics are extraordinarily distinctive in form, and occupy an important place in the history of world bronze civilization."

Dynamic interaction

According to Zhu, the museum has been conducting 3D scanning and digital data collection of its artifacts since 2015, transforming static objects into dynamic, interactive experiences and continuously expanding the expressive possibilities of cultural heritage.

In 2023, the renovated Sanxingdui Museum officially opened, featuring more than 20 digital installations. "One of the most popular digital exhibits is the archaeological excavation cabin," Zhu says. "Using naked-eye 3D technology, we reconstructed an excavation site inside the gallery, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the thrilling moments of archaeological discoveries."

The interactive galleries also feature a variety of smaller multimedia installations that have proved highly attractive. One example simulates the burial process of a sacrificial pit. Through infrared sensors, visitors can interactively experience how bronze objects, ivory and soil were layered during ritual burials.

"First the bronze vessels are buried, then the ivory, and finally everything covered with soil," Zhu explains. "Although it is a simple interaction, it encourages visitors to think about how these sacrificial pits were formed and why."

Zhu notes that one of the greatest challenges facing digital exhibitions today lies in talent development. Designers must understand history and culture, and also master the logic of rapidly evolving digital technologies, making multidisciplinary expertise increasingly scarce and valuable.

"Technology iterates very quickly, and audiences can easily experience aesthetic fatigue," she says. "This demands constant innovation while ensuring digital products are always designed around audience needs."

Despite these challenges, Zhu believes digital exhibition formats remain essential in enriching gallery content, uncovering the stories behind the artifacts, and deepening engagement, which allows museums to transcend the limits of time and space.

Beyond permanent exhibitions, the Sanxingdui Museum has also produced immersive light-and-shadow shows and VR exhibitions, some of which have been presented overseas.

In cultural and creative development, the museum has adopted a licensing-based collaboration model, signing agreements with more than 100 cultural and creative companies. To date, it has launched over 3,000 cultural products, including more than 300 magnet designs alone.

Zhu believes Sanxingdui holds a natural advantage in cultural product development. "These artifacts are among the most visually striking not only in China but globally," she says. "Their unique forms and strong visual identity make them especially well-suited for creative adaptation.

"Sanxingdui has already moved beyond the idea of being just an archaeological site or a collection of artifacts," she adds. "It has become an important symbol of Chinese culture, and a major cultural IP, too.

"Our goal is to bring cultural relics to life," Zhu says. "Through creative products and cross-media collaborations, we want to help Chinese culture reach a wider global audience."

Evolving strategy

Against this backdrop of sustained digital exploration, the collaboration with Honor of Kings was less a sudden crossover than a natural extension of the museum's evolving strategy.

According to Tao Zhizhou, a senior manager on Tencent's Honor of Kings team, they noticed in recent years that Sanxingdui has become increasingly popular among younger audiences.

"All players start from a Bronze ranking," Tao says. "We felt this collaboration could help more young users learn about Sanxingdui, while also serving as a reflection of Honor of Kings' own journey and origins over the past decade. In that sense, choosing Sanxingdui as the theme for our 10th anniversary felt the most natural."

Tao notes that discussions with Sanxingdui staff members began around three years ago, focusing on how the two sides might collaborate. One detail that stood out to her was the early exchange of ideas around hero selection.

"At first, we proposed some heroes that leaned toward a lighter, more playful direction," she recalls. "But the experts pointed out that Sanxingdui is deeply rooted in a culture of divine authority and ritual. They suggested heroes with mythological origins, which led us to the characters Hou Yi, Nyu Wa, and Yang Jian."

During the process of designing skins, a cosmetic item that alters the visual and audiovisual presentation of a hero, Sanxingdui experts offered extensive guidance on the meanings behind specific artifacts and how they might align with particular heroes, and provided valuable and constructive input. Through this collaboration, Tao and her colleagues also gained a deeper understanding of Sanxingdui culture.

"Once I truly understood these elements, I started thinking about how to translate them into the visual language players can understand," Tao says. "If players can absorb this knowledge naturally while playing the game, in a relaxed way, I think that's incredibly meaningful."

In Tao's view, skin design is an intensely collaborative effort. Her team focuses on storylines and thematic insights, while artists translate those ideas into visuals. Animation teams bring them to life through movement, narrative, effects, and world-building. Audio teams add further depth by sometimes incorporating distinctive musical instrument samples.

"Behind every step, there are countless reflections and interpretations from different teams," she says.

"As a game with such a massive player base, Honor of Kings carries an invisible responsibility," Tao adds. "It's about making that hour of gameplay more meaningful. The simplest way is to ensure that the heroes players control — and the skins they use — carry cultural substance and heritage."

This, she explains, is why the game has consistently released culture-themed skins over the past decade. The aim is that, beyond the thrill of competition, players might also gain a spark of curiosity or interest in culture while playing the game.

"If someone learns about Sanxingdui through a skin, then feels inspired to search for it or ask why the masks look the way they do, that's when Honor of Kings truly functions as a bridge," Tao says.

Zhu shares a similar perspective. Through the collaboration, she has seen firsthand the influence a well-made game can have on younger audiences.

She hopes to reach more people and help them understand Sanxingdui through collaborations like this. "It's about adopting a more open and inclusive mindset toward cross-sector partnerships."

Zhu adds, "The open, inclusive, and innovative spirit embedded in Sanxingdui culture deserves an even larger stage in today's era of cultural creativity and exchange."

Bronze, once the mark of a flourishing civilization, now lives on in digital form, carrying the artistry of Sanxingdui across time, connecting past and present, and inviting new generations to witness its enduring story.