In 2024, China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security officially recognized Cultural Creative Product Planning and Operations Specialist as a new profession. At the forefront of this movement is Zeng Zhou, a 90s-born visionary transforming ancient artifacts into playful, market-savvy cultural icons. From enigmatic Sanxingdui bronzes to Chengdu's stone rhinos, Zeng's creations bridge millennia-old traditions with today's pop culture, proving that history can be both educational and irresistibly cool.
From Gaming Designer to Cultural Innovator
Zeng Zhou's journey began with a passion for pop culture collectibles. Growing up surrounded by anime figurines and movie memorabilia, he noticed a gap in the market: few products celebrated China's own rich history. "I loved Marvel action figures, but I wondered—where are our stories?" he recalls. This realization drove him to pivot from his career in game design to pursue cultural innovation.
In 2018, a visit to the Sanxingdui Museum in Sichuan sparked a breakthrough. The museum's enigmatic bronze relics, such as the Sacred Bronze Tree and Zoomorphic Masks, captivated Zeng. "The masks' exaggerated eyes felt almost anime to me," he says. This observation led him to reimagine these artifacts through a contemporary lens.
By merging the solemnity of 3,000-year-old bronzes with whimsical "chibi" (super-deformed) aesthetics, Zeng's creations feature oversized eyes, rounded forms, and playful poses. His debut series, "Sanxingdui Blessed Bronze Statues", transformed the museum's austere deities into wide-eyed, cartoonish characters. Launched in 2019, these figurines quickly sold out, earning the 2020 Golden Panda Creative Design Award and catching the attention of Sanxingdui Museum curators.
Bridging Ancient Mystique and Modern Pop Culture
Zeng's designs are not mere replicas but narrative-driven cultural symbols. His approach involves three key strategies:
- 1.Reinterpreting Iconic Motifs
Drawing from Sanxingdui's Bronze Zoomorphic Mask—a relic with protruding eyes and angular features linked to shamanic rituals—Zeng reworked its proportions to create a "naturally clueless" expression. The resulting "Clueless Guardian" figurine, with its tilted head and pouty lips, became a viral sensation on REDnote.
Similarly, his "Divine Tree: Ten Suns Myth" series reimagines the sacred bronze tree—a 4-meter-tall artifact symbolizing ancient sun worship—as a modular building block set. Each piece represents one of the ten suns from Chinese mythology, encouraging users to "build their own cosmos." This fusion of STEM learning and folklore earned the 2022 UNESCO Heritage Innovation Award.
- 2.Building Cultural IPs with Depth
Zeng emphasizes creating "cultural IPs with soul" rather than disposable toys. His "Chengdu Smile: Pixel World" series, inspired by the city's 2,300-year history, uses Lego-style blocks to recreate landmarks like the Wuhou Shrine and Jinli Ancient Street in retro pixel art. Hidden QR codes on each set link to augmented reality (AR) experiences, where historical figures like poet Du Fu "guide" virtual tours.
Another standout is the "Zhenshui Stone Rhino" series, based on Chengdu's 1,200-year-old flood-control statue. Zeng collaborated with streetwear brand Sichuan Wave to design limited-edition rhino figurines dressed in hoodies and sneakers. The 2023 launch event drew 10,000 attendees, with pieces reselling for triple their original price on secondary markets.
- 3.Engaging Communities Through Events
Beyond design, Zeng fosters creativity by organizing the Static Model Innovation Competition, a national platform for enthusiasts to showcase custom-made figurines. Now in its third year, the 2024 edition featured a "Myth vs. Tech" theme, challenging participants to blend artifacts like Tang Dynasty pottery with cyberpunk elements. Winning entries, such as a "Robotic Flying Horse" inspired by Gansu's Bronze Galloping Horse, are displayed at Chengdu's Tianfu International Anime City.
The Business of Cultural Resonance
Zeng's success reflects broader trends in China's cultural industry. According to a 2024 report by Tencent Research, effective cultural creative products must balance brand storytelling, cross-media exposure, and emotional engagement.
Emotional Design: Zeng's "Sichuan Dialect Notebook" series incorporates cheeky local slang like "巴适" (comfortable) and "摆龙门阵" (chatting), resonating with expatriates nostalgic for home. The notebooks sold 50,000 copies within three months of release.
Digital Integration: Collaborations with AI-driven media, such as the award-winning short film Sanxingdui: Future Revelations, extend his IPs into virtual realms. The film's NFT collectibles, featuring digital versions of Zeng's figurines, grossed $2 million in 2023.
Sustainable Practices: By utilizing 3D printing and localized production hubs in Chengdu, Zeng minimizes carbon footprints. His "Eco-Bronze" line, made from recycled metals, reduced material waste by 40% in 2023.
Case Study: The "Bronze Mask Ice Cream" Phenomenon
One of Zeng's most ingenious projects is the "Bronze Mask Ice Cream", launched in 2021. Partnering with dairy brand Bright Dairy, he transformed Sanxingdui's iconic mask into a mango-flavored dessert. Each wrapper included a trivia question about Shang Dynasty rituals, rewarding correct answers with museum discounts.
The campaign went viral, selling 1 million units in two weeks and boosting Sanxingdui Museum's summer visitor numbers by 60%. "It's not just food—it's a taste of history," Zeng explains. The concept has since expanded to include "Terracotta Warrior Chocolate" and "Dunhuang Mural Macarons", creating a edible cultural lexicon.
Redefining Heritage for a New Generation
Zeng's mission—to make ancient culture "touchable" for youth—aligns with global shifts toward experiential learning. His designs democratize access to history: a child playing with a "Clueless Guardian" figurine unknowingly engages with Bronze Age spirituality, while a teen assembling the "Pixel World" Chengdu set internalizes urban heritage through play.
As Zeng states: "I want every piece to carry the weight of millennia, yet feel alive in today's world. When a teenager proudly displays a Sanxingdui figure next to their Star Wars collection, that's when culture truly transcends time."
Zeng aims to collaborate with global institutions. Preliminary talks are underway with the British Museum to adapt its Chinese ceramic collection into a "Porcelain Guardians" figurine series. Meanwhile, his team is developing an AI app that scans historical sites like the Forbidden City and instantly generates AR figurines based on their architectural details.
