HANGZHOU, China , The College of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University today announced the global release of Song Dynasty Romance, a collaborative five-episode artificial intelligence (AI) digital short film series. Co-created by a multinational team of young students from six countries, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Ukraine, the project leverages generative AI tools as a creative medium to rediscover the lifestyle aesthetics of China’s Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) and explore how this thousand-year-old wisdom can inspire contemporary digital life.
The series utilizes a cross-cultural dialogue framework, pairing one Chinese student with one international student for each episode. Together, they focus on five micro-artifacts deeply rooted in the daily lives of the Song people: a tea bowl, a warming ewer, a traditional garment, an early banknote, and a cultural seal. Through digital recreation, the creators invite a global audience to experience the profound aesthetic pursuits and philosophies of Chinese culture through ordinary yet authentic daily practices, such as drinking tea, hosting guests, dressing, trading, and reading.
Cross-Cultural Dialogues Through Five Micro-Artifacts
Each episode of Song Dynasty Romance serves as a bridge connecting history with contemporary reflection through a specific material object:
Episode 1: An Art of Living: Jianzhan Tea Bowl
Co-created by Chen Xinyu and Bangladesh student Yawen Gu, this episode reconstructs the ancient art of “tea-battling” and “tea whisking opera,” which were highly popular during the Song Dynasty. By capturing the micro-visual contrast between white tea froth and the black glaze of the Jianzhan bowl, the short film reflects the ancient philosophy of “investigating things to extend knowledge.” It portrays the meticulous rituals of tea-drinking, suggesting that even within a single tea bowl, one can perceive an entire universe of focus and mindfulness.
Episode 2: Human Temperature: Tangping Ewer
Produced by Fang Yinuo and Vietnamese student Thi Xuan Qu, this episode traces the journey of the “Tangping” (a traditional warming ewer) across various social settings, from busy kitchens to refined literati gatherings and vibrant market streets.
Used for warming wine and boiling tea, the ewer serves as a metaphor for human connection, waiting, and warmth. The rising steam visually captures a profoundly slower lifestyle, prompting modern viewers to rethink their pace in a fast-moving society.
Episode 3: A Style of Self-Expression: Beizi Garment
Created by Jin Qianqian and South Korean student Seungho Liu, this episode centers on the “Beizi,” a standard outer garment for women in the Song Dynasty characterized by its straight collar and clean, parallel lines. Viewed through a modern lens, the creators identify the Beizi as a pioneer of minimalism.
By placing this traditional attire into the context of today’s algorithm-driven and high-traffic digital society, the episode poses a philosophical question: can modern individuals maintain their own rhythm, living elegantly and authentically just like the people of the Song Dynasty?
Episode 4: A Revolution of Trust: Jiaozi Currency
Developed by Zhou Linhui and Ukrainian student Kami, the short film uses a first-person narrative delivered by the “Jiaozi,” widely recognized as one of the world’s earliest paper currencies. The narrative explains how a system of credit allowed wealth to cross mountains and rivers, connecting thousands of distinct lives. The episode emphasizes that from the Song Dynasty to the present day, mutual trust remains the most valuable cornerstone of commercial civilization.
Episode 5: A Path of Thought: Seal and Printing
Produced by Li Yiyang and Mongolian student Dulan, this final episode explores the evolution of cultural recording, replication, and dissemination through personal seals, woodblock printing, and movable type technology.
From the private signatures of literati to the widespread sharing of ideas across the Asian continent, these tools transformed written knowledge from an elite privilege into a shared heritage. The creators guide the audience through this history to highlight the continuous, historical dialogue between Chinese and global civilizations.
Cultural Reflection Empowered by Generative AI Workflows
A key focus for the research and production team was the industrial workflow of AI-Generated Content (AIGC) in digital cultural creation and international communication. Throughout the creative process, the international student teams translated historical texts, classical poetry, and museum artifact data into precise semantic prompts.
Using Large Language Models (LLMs) and advanced multi-modal video generation frameworks, the students managed the entire production pipeline,from scriptwriting and storyboarding to high-fidelity historical scene rendering. This collaborative process successfully resolved the technical challenge of translating classical Chinese cultural nuances into accurate digital visual imagery.
According to the international students involved, generative AI tools lowered the language barriers and historical knowledge thresholds that typically complicate cross-cultural projects. The technology allowed creators from diverse backgrounds to collaborate under a unified visual and aesthetic standard, encouraging deeper historical interpretation.
Bridging History with Contemporary Well-Being
The core philosophy of Song Dynasty Romance is that culture does not merely exist in ancient texts or museum showcases; it survives through daily practices. The project highlights that the Song Dynasty offers valuable insights for modern life: finding beauty in small details, maintaining composure within an organized social structure, and seeking meaning through human connections.
The project leader, Prof. Xiao Jian from Zhejiang University, commented, “In today’s accelerated world, attempting to understand the lifestyle wisdom of the past is not about escaping reality or simply returning to antiquity. Instead, it is about discovering timeless wisdom from ordinary daily elements, a cup of tea, a garment, a piece of paper currency, to help us navigate our modern lives with greater clarity and mindfulness.”
Song Dynasty Romance short film series has been officially launched across several domestic and international academic innovation networks, digital art platforms, and global technology creator communities. Viewers can watch the full five-episode series on YouTube.
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