Peking University, April 27, 2026: The Datong Code, a short video series about the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Datong, Shanxi, and produced by Peking University (PKU) News & Media Center, has recently won Second Prize in Best Literary and Artwork in the Short Video Unit at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival. This honor highlights the enduring charm of centuries-old craftsmanship nurtured inside China's heartland.



The series has five episodes, featuring two PKU students who navigate the Datong Ancient City in a gamified world, trying to escape "hunters" and learning about the native ICHs from masters they meet along the way. The ICHs showcased in the series include Datong Tianyichang Copperware, Guangling Paper-cutting, Datong Volcanic Stone Carving, and Liu Laoxier Datong Wei Vinegar.

The main character Kai, played by Abdelquoddousse Kailil, an international student from Morocco, is transported inside the game while visiting the Yungang Grottoes, and has to match the four ICHs he encounters to the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, and water — with the fifth element being the Datong Ancient City itself. He is assisted along the way by Yuwen, played by Chinese student Hou Shuyue.

"The Datong Code" won Second Prize in Best Literary and Artwork in the Short Video Unit at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival. [Photo by: Zhao Mengqiu]

The climactic twist comes at the end, when Kai, having misplaced the elements, is enlightened by the masters to the realization that the elements do not refer to the raw materials that ostensibly constitute the ICHs, but their underlying properties and deeper significance.

This honor comes amid a broader government call to promote the innovative commercialization and development of ICHs. As the nation's leading higher education institution, PKU has promptly answered that call.

In October 2025, PKU launched "Re-encounter with Chinese Glories: Creative Initiative for Intangible Cultural Heritage at Peking University," an interdisciplinary program that connects ICH inheritors, scientists, artists, university faculty and students in a joint effort to promote innovation in ICH. The Datong Code is the first short video series about ICH produced under this program, and also the first AI-VFX series about ICH produced by a Chinese higher education institution.

"This program leverages the rich cultural and academic resources of PKU and seeks to promote ICH, science, and art in a holistic approach," said Luo Ling, founder of the program and Deputy Director of PKU News & Media Center. "We want to show the world the charm of traditional Chinese culture through youthful and international expressions."

Xiang Yong, Dean of the Institute for Cultural Industries, Peking University, noted that The Datong Code represents a pioneering collaboration between a higher education institution and a local culture and tourism bureau to promote ICH.

"The Datong Code, by presenting the culture and history of Datong from the perspective of an international student, showcases the endurance of Chinese cultural lineage with a global narrative style."

Written by: Chen Shizhuo
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: Guangming Daily (Chinese)