China’s latest viral video stars: Dancing museum artifacts

Animated relics steal the spotlight on Douyin, also known as Tik Tok

Trending in China

Karen Chiu

Published: 7:00pm, 22 May 2018

Why you can trust SCMP

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

If Night at the Museum was filmed in China, it might look like this.

The 2006 American comedy blockbuster saw exhibits at a New York museum come to life at night -- as an astonished night guard tries to keep things in order.

Now a new short video featuring less destructive (but equally animated) ancient artifacts is capturing a huge audience on Chinese social media.

Released by one of China’s most popular video apps for International Museum Day, the short clip from Douyin stars some of the nation’s most treasured relics, dancing like millennials.

The choreography rivals South Korea’s hottest boy bands, as terracotta warriors from the Shaanxi History Museum rap and dance away, oblivious to the weight of their heavy armor.

This is definitely better than the Billboard Music Awards. (Picture: Douyin)

A tomb figurine from the Tang dynasty even does a viral social media challenge known in China as the ash-sweeping dance -- named because it looks like the dancers are trying to brush off imaginary dust from their shoulders.

The ash-sweeping dance, coming soon to a nightclub near you. (Picture: Douyin)

And a carved human face on a Shang dynasty bronze cauldron performs what’s called the 98K electric eyes -- in which teenagers blink their eyes to the beat of a song called HandClap.

When someone tries to dance with you and you want them to leave, just hit them with 98K electric eyes. (Picture: Douyin)

Launched in 2016, Douyin -- known as Tik Tok outside China -- is wildly popular among teens in Asia. It lets users create 15-second videos, which are published to the app’s endless social feed. It’s become so popular that it added an anti-addiction alarm to clamp down on binge-watching.

The video has been viewed more than 118 million times in a few days, according to state media. But reactions vary: While some praised it for raising public interest in Chinese history, others criticized it for being lowbrow. Some even called for Douyin to be banned.

Meanwhile one viewer learned something new: "This is the first time I realize how different the face of each terracotta warrior looks."

The world’s hottest iOS app is from China (and it’s not WeChat)

For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.

Post