By XIE Yixin
Shanghai Museum’s exhibition The Essence of China – artifacts from the bronze age – will wrap up next week, with the treasures going back to museums in central China where they are kept.
But a few will remain behind, at least in spirit. They have been scanned and preserved in the cloud. Shanghai Museum released digital collectibles of two artifacts in August, and they immediately sold out. Owners can view delicately scanned 3D images of the artifacts - a wine vessel from the Zhou Dynasty and a measuring device from the Warring States period – and read their stories.
Hard to find objects
Digital collectibles are the Chinese variation of NFTs and cannot be traded.
Data analysis platform Leadleo said the market value of digital collectibles is growing 150 percent each year and is expected to reach 30 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) by 2026. The tourism industry does not want to miss out.
Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain, a famous attraction in Eash China’s Anhui Province, released its first collection – digital tickets with Huangshan icons – last year, and they sold out in 16 seconds. Huangshan has now released eight collections. The two most popular brought in 300,000 yuan profit. Huangshan Tourism Development Group said the income from digital collections this year may reach 20 million yuan.
Taishan, or Mount Tai, in Shandong Province, has also been busy making money from digital collectibles, 22 so far. It has signed up with Tencent to release 1,000 digital collectibles worth 250 million yuan next year.
“It is a good way to show local culture and tourist sites,” said WANG Haishan who is in charge of the digital collection project – Yunqiong, which debuted in June – of Yunnan Province. People can purchase digital collections via the app YouYunnan
The first digital collectible of Yunqiong was a wine vessel. Priced at 25 yuan, all 611 collectibles sold out as soon as they were available.
“It is difficult to go to a remote museum to see a relic,” said Wang. “But with a collectible, you can zoom in to read the carving on it, and no one will press you to move on like some annoying people in museums.”
More than just a ticket
Shenzhen Nuofuteng Technology Group helps businesses develop digital assets. It designed a ticket for Ferris wheel maker Juma. Customers with virtual tickets can not only take a ride on the Ferris wheel but have an online murder mystery to solve with other ticket holders in the carriage.
“A ride of the wheel cost people 58 yuan, and they don’t usually come back for more,” said FU Rao, CEO of Nuofuteng. “With games implanted in the digital tickets, there is a better chance that the customers will ride the wheel again.”
There are also doubts. HAN Wei, founder of metaverse tech company Yishujia, said the first step into the metaverse is the authenticity of digital assets. “Replicating one relic 10,000 times online then what?” he said. “It is not NFT.”
People’s initial surge of interest is fading fast. Huanhe, Tencent’s digital collection platform and the first in China stopped sales in August.
But Wang reckons there is still potential for remote tourist sites. His team released digital collectibles of the three pagodas at the Chongsheng Temple on September 20. The digital model of the three pagodas is so detailed that the owners can zoom in to look at the scratches and damage on the towers. Such accurate reproduction is key to unlocking the doors of the metaverse, he said.
