Chinese sci-fi finds a muse in traditional culture
HARBIN (June 16): Traditional Chinese culture is finding a new life not in text books or museums, but in the speculative futures of Chinese science fiction. Writers and creators are mining the past — classical literature, philosophies, and archaeological marvels — and threading it into a genre that is vividly, unmistakably Chinese.
Chinese sci-fi writer Wu Yan, also a professor at Southern University of Science and Technology, is among those embracing this trend.
Take his short story 'Dad's Sticky Notes,' which claimed gold at the sixth Children's Science Fiction Nebula Awards of China this past May. Wu layers historical imagination with futuristic flair, drawing richly from the vaults of Chinese archaeology, the cryptic wisdom of ancient astronomy, and the enduring elegance of architecture.
The story follows elementary school student Zhu Xiaoguo as he uses time-traveling sticky notes, his father's invention, to travel back to 2100 BC. Arriving at the Taosi archaeological site in north China's Shanxi Province, he uncovers the mysteries of an ancient astronomical observatory and becomes captivated by scientific exploration.
Wu's story is more than escapism, however; it is an invitation. He said he hopes to show how ancient Chinese wisdom can spark the curiosity and imagination that drive technological innovation.
For Wu, traditional Chinese culture is not a relic to be revered from afar. He believes its deep philosophical roots and imaginative literary legacy offer sci-fi creators an almost bottomless reservoir of inspiration. Take 'Journey to the West' for instance, a fantastic universe where deities, demons, and humans coexist in dynamic equilibrium. Wu said this classic Chinese epic illustrates how traditional aesthetic can serve as a distinctive inspiration for Chinese sci-fi, especially in an age when artificial intelligence is encroaching on the creative domain.
Wu's viewpoint echoes the ideas of other Chinese sci-fi writers like Liu Cixin, whose widely popular 'The Three-Body Problem' trilogy fuses Chinese historical and philosophical motifs with universal themes of science, survival, and humanity's place in the cosmos.
'The Three-Body Problem' trilogy has helped fuel China's ongoing sci-fi craze, which saw the total revenue of the country's sci-fi industry grow to 108.96 billion yuan (about 15.17 billion U.S. dollars) in 2024. The trilogy has also become a global cultural phenomenon on the back of translations and adaptations into TV series and films, including a Netflix series.
'The Wandering Earth,' another novel by Liu, along with its eponymous blockbuster movie adaptation, is also widely regarded as channeling Chinese philosophical values. Experts note that the story's premise — humanity moving Earth itself to survive, rather than abandoning it — reflects the deep-seated cultural bond between people and homeland.
Han Song, president of the World Chinese Science Fiction Association, said Chinese sci-fi works like 'The Three-Body Problem' address issues like artificial intelligence, space exploration, and environment from the perspective of human being as a whole, striking a chord globally.
'They integrate unique thoughts derived from 5,000 years of civilization to reflect current technological revolutions and social transformations through a Chinese lens — offering distinctive answers that the world craves,' he said. – Xinhua Arts and Culture China entertainment literature science fiction
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