On June 14, the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced the list of awardees for the “2025 Outstanding New Media Projects on Chinese Cultural Heritage” in Changsha, the designated host city for this year’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day. The initiative was organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Cyberspace Administration of China, and was implemented by China Cultural Relics News.

Short video series “Treasures of Central China: Inspiration from Artifacts”by Henan Museum was among the selected projects. Prior to this national recognition, the series had already been honored with the “2025 Henan Provincial Award for Excellence in All-Media Communication of Cultural Heritage.”

Launched in 2019 during the renovation of its main exhibition hall, the “Treasures of Central China short video series” was developed by Henan Museum to narrate the stories behind cultural relics through digital media. Being disseminated via online platforms, the series not only compenstaed for the temporary suspension of on-site exhibitions, but also provided a solid foundation for the museum’s digital engagement.

Releasing one episode each week, the series has so far published a total of 300 episodes. Each episode shows a single major artifact, with a runtime carefully limited to two to three minutes to align with the viewing habits of new media audiences. Building upon the original program, the series underwent a comprehensive upgrade and was reintroduced as the newly launched “Treasures of Central China: Inspiration from Artifacts” in 2024. With a more vivid and dynamic style, the revamped series aligns more closely with the aesthetics as well as communication logic of today’s digital media, aiming to evoke resonance and cultural connection by highlighting the distinctive character and even the “expressions” of each artifact. The series retains its original format of scripted narration combined with 3D artifact modeling, enhancing the subjectivity and appeal of the content, while effectively exploiting the capabilities of 3D technology to reveal nuanced details from multiple viewpoints. At the same time, the visual presentation incorporates collage, graphic design, and other stylistically distinct techniques. The overall rhythm is tight but orderly, with a minimalist yet sophisticated aesthetic and thoughtfully curated visuals, offering viewers and cultural heritage enthusiasts a distinctive and extraordinary digital journey through Chinese cultural relics.

“Let the artifacts speak and let the wisdom of history be heard”—this is both the starting point and the ultimate aim of the “Treasures of Central China” short video series. Looking ahead, Henan Museum remains committed to bringing cultural treasures closer to the public and into contemporary life, advancing Central Chinese culture toward the future and onto the global stage.