'Chinese rap' enhances traditional culture in 'Black Myth: Wukong'

(ECNS) --During the 2024 Beijing Culture Forum, the parallel forum “Cultural Trends: Emerging Industries and Technological Integration” invited experts, scholars, and industry leaders gathered in Beijing last Friday to discuss cultural preservation and innovation in the digital age.

Game Science Founder and CEO, and Producer of hit video game Black Myth: Wukong shared insights into the game’s development process, saying that intangible cultural heritage can be effectively preserved and passed down by combining it with popular interactive entertainment and modern digital technology.

Black Myth: Wukong invited Xiong Zhuying, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, to render the game’s soundtrack in a way that utilizes Shanbei storytelling, which blends well with both characters and the desolate setting. Many overseas players have called it “Chinese rap” and try to imitate it, Feng said.

Recently, the release of China's first AAA game Black Myth: Wukong sparked a “Journey to the West” craze both domestically and internationally, becoming a vivid example of innovative expression of traditional Chinese culture.

Traditional culture is a valuable heritage, with digital technology a powerful force driving cultural development. Combining the two can bring new life to traditional culture in a modern context, said Zhu Dianjun, vice president of public policy at Tencent.

He noted that while the essence of Chinese traditional culture remains unchanged, its forms of expression can vary. For example, Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been creatively adapted through novels, games, and film. This kind of innovative transformation makes it more accessible to the public, allowing the market to respond naturally.

Justyna Szpakowska, a Polish media professional and intercultural communication scholar, believed that one of the main challenges in telling China's story and conveying its traditional culture to the West is localization.

For example, how do you translate the term “Jingubang” in a way that resonates with people from different cultural backgrounds? The game helps players from diverse cultural contexts more fully grasp the meaning and background of the “Jingubang”, thus encouraging them to explore the culture behind it, she explained.

Wang Zhi'ou, visual effects director for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, also shared his experience in the creative design of the event.

He and his team drew inspiration from traditional Chinese culture, using the approach of “art + technology” to reinterpret Chinese elements in a contemporary way, such as in the 24 Solar Terms countdown and the design of the snowflake main torch platform.

The combination of art and technology sustains traditional culture, while innovation is the core driving force that pushes the integration of traditional culture and digital technology forward, Wang commented.

Short video creator Zhu Tiexiong combines cool costume changes with traditional culture to produce works filled with ethnic cultural spirit.

He stated that combiningpresentation styles can bring traditional culture closer to young people in unique and engaging ways.