Globalizing Qin: Storytelling across Borders

[Recording] Welcome to the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip talks archive. The Museum, Boola Bardip, hosts a series of thought-provoking talks and conversations tackling big issues, questions and ideas, and is delighted to be able to share these with you through the talks archive. The talks archive is recorded on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar. The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the traditional owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Assoc. Prof. Maggie Ying Jiang: Hi everyone. Good evening. Thank you for coming to our talk. My name is Maggie Jiang and tonight me and Ting are going to be sharing with you how the China’s first Emperor Qin has become a global icon in today’s cultural economy.

So, a bit of introduction by myself, very briefly, I am a scholar in cross-cultural communication, and also run consultancy with the university, providing strategic advice to companies and organizations.

And I also work with the museum on another project. Have people heard of ‘My Australian Story’, which is a storytelling platform showcasing migrants’ contribution to this country.

I have published four books, which I won’t talk about tonight.

So briefly to Ting: Ting is doing a master's degree with us in strategic communication, and she's from Fudan University in China. And she’s done lots of presentations in other places. Actually tonight, is her first time doing a presentation in this country. And She did a brilliant job at the 6.30 session. So good on her.

And Ting also works in cross cultural communication and she is interest into TV and film. And tonight, I'll start off with talk about briefly, who was Qin Shi Huang, The Terracotta Warriors, and start with the museum part, and Ting will going to share with us about the TV and film industry surrounding Qin Shi Huang, and how these shaping up in the whole cultural economy.

Then, back to me, talking about the global economy around the world around Qin, and why the world is fascinated. And also, summarization about storytelling across borders.

So, let's begin with the central figure of our story Qin Shi Huang. He was born in 259 BCE, he became China's first emperor at 30 years old. By 221 BCE, after a long period of warring states in China, he achieved what no one else did at that time: He unified the country and founded the Qin Dynasty. Now Qin Shi Huang was driven by a vision of lasting achievements and monumental work. And he launched massive construction sized projects, one of them you are very familiar with - the Great Wall project, and extensive network of building roads connecting the Empire, which make, you know, such an important sort of function for governing the nation. His passion in craftsmen, and grand scale artistry, is perhaps best-known today through the Terracotta Warriors, a staggering army of life-sized statues built to guard his tomb.

Now, his dynasty didn't last very long. You probably know only, 15 years. And so, Qin Shi Huang did left a profound cultural legacy. His innovation in architecture, engineering and art set models for future dynasties. From the expansion of the Great Wall to the enduring realism seeing the emperor's sculpture.

Now, his story continues to captivate audience globally, inspiring museum exhibitions, films and global conversations around storytelling and cultural heritage.

So, his vision and rules: One of his most ambitious achievements was the standardization of the Empire, so he unified written language, currency, weights and measures and legal codes. And these moves, not only strengthened governance over vast territory, but also facilitated communication and trade across diverse regions. And he also initiated what historians refer to the Great Wall project. At that time. It was to link and extend existing walls to defend the empire against the northern tribe's invasion.

Beyond these monumental state projects, Qin Shi Huang was fascinated by one thing: immortality. So, he worked with alchemists. He tried many various potions in his life. He looked for ways to extend his life, revealing a deeply personal side to his rule. Now Qin Shi Huang reign combined sweeping administrative reforms, enormous construction undertakings, and singular personal obsessions, creating a legacy that shaped the course of Chinese history. His historical significance:

Now he is remembered as both a unifier and a tyrant. On one hand, he ended centuries of warfare. He brought China onto one centralized rule for the first time. But on the other hand, his rule was marked by very harsh laws, strict control over thought, and enormous construction projects that required countless labourers, and, in some time, very harsh working conditions.

Now, one of the most controversial acts of his rule was the burning of books and burying of scholars. People who would learn Chinese history, probably aware of this part. Basically, Qin Shi Huang ordered the destruction of texts that challenged his authority or celebrated his rival states, particularly works of philosophy and history. But there was some, sort of, writing spared. The practical writing on medicine and divination were spared. Now this was his attempt to control knowledge and unify ideology across empire.

So, he became a symbol of power, order, and ambition. A ruler whose determination to control and standardised everything, which shaped how later dynasties governed. Now his empire did establish systems of governance and cultural practices that deeply influence later dynasties it for a long time, for centuries to come.

And finally, there are different versions of why Chinese go to China. You know, there are different sort of versions. But it is widely acknowledged or known, that the very name China is believed to have originated from Qin. So, ‘Q’, ‘I’, ‘N’, ‘Qin’, pronounced as 'C’, ‘H’, ‘I’, ‘N’, ‘Chin’ in English which is the beginning of China. So, there is a strong belief that's how the name China originates from. So, name which is the name is dynasty. So, his vision of a unified state contributes to the enduring concept of Zhongguo, which means ‘central state’ in English. Zhongguo is the Chinese name China, which has played an important role in Chinese civilization.

Now, even in death. This is Xi’an his tomb. I'm sure many of you been there. And even in death Qin Shi Huang ‘s quest for immortality found a remarkable form of success through the enduring memory of his legacy. The site of his tomb, which is about 56 sqaure kilometres in Xi’an, and the site of Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an is about five acres. Now, these continue to captivate the world, keeping history alive for generations. And perhaps from this perspective, his immortality is truly realized when we see the impact of his vision still shaping history and culture today. Now, the story of Qin Shi Huang took a dramatic turn in 1974, which was the year the farmers near Xi’an had stumbled upon some fragments in the soil, and what they uncovered that time turned out to be a massive archaeological revelation: The Terracotta Army. Thousands of life-sized soldiers, each uniquely detailed, were found guarding the emperor's tomb, offering extraordinary glimpse into the power, artistry, and ambition of Qin's reign.

In 1987, UNESCO named the site as a World Heritage Site, showcasing its global importance and lasting appeal. Now, when the news of the Terracotta Army reached the world, headlines hailed as the eighth wonder of the world, these are the seven wonders of the world. [pictures of the 7 wonders of the world shown on slide]

So, Terracotta Warriors as seen as the eighth wonder of the world, which sparked a global fascination with ancient China, inspiring exhibitions, research and popular culture far beyond Xi’an. And suddenly, Qin Shi Huang’s story, and his remarkable creations, were no longer just Chinese history, they had become a shared point of wonder and curiosity for the whole world.

So, the discovery of Terracotta Warriors marked a true cultural turning point, where you see archaeology and storytelling came together to create something bigger than just historical fact. It gave birth to the global myth.

So, the actual excavation is fascinating enough. But media coverage, books, documentaries and exhibitions turned everything in all of this into a compelling narrative that people everywhere could relate to. Soldiers frozen in time, guarding an emperor, the huge scale and the mystery around it was very appealing.

It also invites us to reflect questions. So how can a discovery transform history into cultural capital, shaping not only how we understand the past, but also how it inspires art, education and identity around the world? Now, since 1982: we are moving on to Global Museum exhibitions around terracotta. Since 1982 the Terracotta Warriors have travelled the world different cities - London, Paris, Sydney and now Perth. More than 40 million people have seen them in person, experiencing a tangible connection to ancient China.

Now this museum diplomacy not only showcases China's rich heritage but also function as a form of global soft power, fostering cultural exchange and dialogue through art and archaeology. So, the Terracotta Warriors continue to inspire wonder and curiosity, creating a deep emotional connection with audiences around the world. They have become global ambassadors of ancient China. They are helping people appreciate this history and culture. And beyond the cultural impact, this exhibition generates significant revenue for the host of museums and increases the global visibility of Chinese civilization, demonstrating how history can be both educational and influential on a global scale.

So now, moving to film and TV: Please allow me to welcome Ting. Come to the stage with us.

Ms. Ting Wang Thank you, Maggie, and good evening to everyone. I am Ting Wang and currently studying in Master of Strategic Communication at U.W.A. It's my pleasure here with my professor Maggie, having this lovely talk in W.A. Museum to share a Chinese Asian culture about Qin as a global icon. And in my part, I will focus on Qin in film and TV. Showing a 2000-year-old emperor image travels, transforms and connects audience across the cultures. And firstly, let's start with a big picture. Overall, they are at least 39 works that portrayed Qin Shi Huang and his imagery from films and TV dramas, documentaries and even animations. In China, about 27 major epics such as ‘The Emperor and the Assassin’, ‘Hero’ and the ‘Qin dynasty epic’. They are actually right here in the background. Can you spot them? And globally, around 12 works echo the broader Chinese emperor image from Hollywood, ‘Mommy’, ‘The Last Emperor’, ‘Disney’s Mulan’ and the ‘Netflix’ documentaries. These works reimagine Qin not just as a historical ruler, but also as a cross-cultural symbol of power, mystery and fascination.

And next slides: Let's see how the core Chinese film brings Qin Shi Huang to life. Have you all watch this movie before? Lets’ have a quick competition, see who know them more. The first one ‘The Emperor and Assassin’. 荆轲刺秦王 by Chen Kaige, is based on the true story of Jing Ke’s failed attempt to assassinate Qin Shi Huang. But unlike the history, every character in this movie has human depth. Qin was struggling between the ambition and loss. To unify the country, he sacrificed his love, loyalty and even his humanity. It's a magnificent work, but a bit sad.

And the ‘Hero’, 英雄, directed by Zhang Yimou. It's a similar story, but in a more poetic way. Each colour in this movie represents a different truth and perspective. Instead of seeing Qin as emperor, the film askes a deep question: can violence ever bring peace?

And ‘The Myth’, 神话 , is one of my favourites because I'm a big fan of the Jackie Chan. He plays a Qin general, escorting a Korean princess, they fall in love, but the fates separate them. 2000 years later, Jackie Chan reincarnated as a modern archaeologist who discovers Qin’s underground world.

Then they finally meet. It's a romantic, adventurous and beautiful story.

And the next one, ‘The Terracotta Warrior’ from 1989, 古今大战秦俑情. In this movie, Zhang Yimou is an actor, not director, as he plays a Chinese soldier, buried with the Terracotta Warriors, then wakes up in modern life and try to find his lost love.

Next slide: There are more Chinese productions. ‘The Great Wall’, 长城, directed by Zhang Yimou is a bit controversial in China, actually. It mixed fantasy and history but is not historically accurate. But it's a Chinese history shown through the Western blockbuster style, showing global collaboration.

‘The Emperor's Shadow’, 秦颂, tells the story between the emperor and his musician. A slow, emotional film about the tension between the art and the power.

The TV drama ‘Qin Dynasty’ epic, 大秦赋, it's one of the China's most detailed historical drama, full of the political strategy and reform. It's almost like watching a visual textbook on how the First Empire was built. And my father loves it, he always imagined he's the emperor and he can do better. [audience laughter]

And the final one ‘A Step into the Past’, 寻秦记, it's our Hong Kong time travel drama. Where a modern man accidentally goes back to ‘warring states period’ and becomes involved in Qin’s rise. It combines pop culture and history, showing how the Qin story continues to inspire new genres. And together, these works mix history, fantasy and emotion, reflecting how modern China reimagines in Qin Shi Huang’s ancient roots. And next one. Let's see the Western and international works. Meanwhile, they tell the Qin story in more mystery, spectacle and imagination, often as a symbol of the orient. ‘The Mummy: tomb of the Dragon Emperor’, reimagines a Qin-like dragon emperor as a powerful, cursed evil, played by Jet Li, is full of action, fantasy and special effects. And introduced the Terracotta Warriors to global audience.

And ‘The Last Emperor’. This is my favourite one. It's the story about China's last emperor, Puyi, and mirrors China's transformation from empire to modernity. And my favourite musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, he composed the soundtrack and acted in this film as well. ‘The Last Emperor’ won nine Oscars and including ‘Best Original Music’, and it’s the only film ever shot inside the ‘Forbidden City’. Visually stunning and deeply emotional. I highly recommend it.

The Netflix ‘Mystery of Terracotta Warriors’, replace the fantasy with archaeology, combining the science and storytelling to explore the emperor’s after life army. It's educational and cinematic at the same time.

And of course, Mulan by Disneyland. I'm sure many of you already seen this movie, right? It's the story set in a later dynasty. A brave girl who joined the army to replace her father. And there's a live action version in 2020, starring Liu Yifei, made it globally successful. Overall, these works transform Qin’s legacy into a global visual language, blending history, fantasy and fascination for audience around the world. After that, I will show you the comparison between the Chinese and Western movie. What travels and what converts. Chinese works focus on reflection and moral debates asking questions about power and unity. They use realistic imagery, restrained the colours and calm tone, more about meaning than entertainment. The goal is cultural reflection: what does Qin’s Story say about who we are?

Western films focus on spectacle and imagination. Fantasy, archaeology, visual excess and fast editing. Qin becomes an adventure icon, mysterious, supernatural and powerful.

So, the purposes are different. Chinese films looks inward, explore cultural identity, and Western films look outwards, creating the global entertainment. But both share the same human themes - ambition, immortality, and the search for order. That's why Qin’s image travels so well. It's not just China's story; it's everyone’s story about power and legacy.

After we look at the stories, let's see what happens at the box office. I have listed four of the most representative works. ‘The Hero’ earned about 177 million U.S. dollar worldwide, reaching audience far beyond China.

And 'The Mummy 3’ a Hollywood fantasy, made over 405 million USD globally.

And ‘The Last Emperor’ in 1987, earned 44 million USD and nine Oscars, turning the Chinese emperor imagery into an art film success.

Even the Disney animation ‘Mulan’ made 304 million USD.

Together, these four titles made nearly 930 million USD, showing that the Qin’s image doesn't just tell history, it sells history. This commercial success has set the stage for our next part, understanding how this image becomes a real cultural economy.

Movies like ‘Hero’ and ‘The Mummy 3' didn't just show the emperor, they made Qin Shi Huang part of the global entertainment IP, and this visibility leads to real money and movement. After this movie's success, the ‘Terracotta Warrior Exhibition’ as Maggie mentioned before, travelled to London, Paris, Perth, all over the world, drawing massive crowds, and there are replicas, souvenirs, fashion, even games adopt the Qin style. It is no longer just a film or TV, it's part of modern creative culture, continuously influencing the younger generation.

So that's all from me. There's a move back to Maggie. Thank you.

Assoc. Prof. Maggie Ying Jiang : That was fascinating, Ting. Thank you so much for introducing to us all this interesting movies and TV, wonderful. And I didn't realize ‘The Great Wall’: I haven’t watched yet.

Thank you. So, Qin Shi Huang legacy isn't just history. I think we saw many times now it's a thriving part of a global culture economy. So, in Xi’an alone, I triple checked these numbers, it's astonishing. Last year, over 300 million visitors generated more than 50 billion USD. So, it's astonishing. So, beyond the site itself, downstairs we have merchandise - replicas, merchandise, all this from terracotta figurines to souvenirs in the museum shops that bring the story of the emperor to audience globally, and those large-scale installations in different cities in the world and extend the reach of this heritage, turning ancient China into a modern cultural industry. And this is the Xi’an in the evening, a beautiful city.

So, Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Warriors have become more than historical figures. They are now part of modern marketing, fashion and digital media. The ancient China aesthetic is being used as a global brand, appearing in everything from museum campaigns to luxury brands and luxury products. So, this ties directly into culture diplomacy. Exhibitions of Terracotta Warriors act as a form of soft power, extending China's cultural footprint around the world and also shaping perceptions of Chinese history and creativity. It also raises an important question: could heritage thrive without becoming a commodity? And as these treasures gain global recognition, we do need to consider how commercialisation interacts with cultural preservation.

So, the next question is: why the world is fascinating about this? Why is the world fascinated by Qin Shi Huang? I think seems that Qin’s ambition, leadership, empire building are not just historical, it also resonates across cultures. And these things make Qin’s story feel both deeply Chinese, but also universally human, and the connecting people around the world.

And Qin’s tomb, with massive scale and secrecy surrounding it, reflect a fundamental human desire to leave a lasting legacy and to transcend time. It also reminds us that the drive to be remembered and the fear of being forgotten, is something that we all share.

So, Qin Shi Huang is not the only ruler whose story captures the world’s imagination. Think of the pharaohs of Egypt, Alexander the Great, and Napoleon. All these figures, whose ambition and desire for immortality inspire fascination across time and place. Qin’s story taps into the same universal curiosity about power and eternity, and ultimately speaks to a timeless question that resonates emotionally with all of us, which is how do we outlast death?

So, Qin Shi Huang’s story travels differently around the world. In the West, people are drawn to the themes of mystery and power, and in China there's national pride and cultural heritage around it. And it also travels across regions - art, performance and education, which try to provide ways for audience to explore the Terracotta Army with each place reading it in its own way.

And digital storytelling has taken this even further with the availability of technology, VR exhibitions, museum apps and online videos that also allow audiences to experience and interact, engage with Qin’s story, breaking borders and creating a shared global narrative. Qin Shi Huang’s story has become shared heritage. It carries diverse meanings on who is telling it and how each culture engage with this part of history reshapes narrative and adding new layers of interpretation. So, we are co-constructing this global narrative together. And global globalization has transformed this history into a story we all share, connecting people across time and place while also highlighting the different ways we are find meaning in the past. And now, the final slide here, I want to reflect on what Qin’s global success tells us or shows us. First of all, I think it's very clear history travels through storytelling. The story of a Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Warriors, they do demonstrate how cultural icons can become a kind of global currency, and connecting people far beyond their place of origin. And in this way, Qin serves as a compelling case study of heritage globalization. And there are also lessons about cultural power. The world's fascination with Qin combines elements of cultural diplomacy with what we might call a storytelling economy. The way narratives themselves carry influence. But it also reminds us of a delicate balance. Here, the line between preservation and performance, the line between honouring history and presenting it as spectacle.

So ultimately, Qin Shi Huang built an empire once. But today the world has rebuilt it in imagination, through exhibitions, films, TV and shared cultural memory.

So, I want to thank you for listening and thank you for being part of this cultural economy.

[Recording] Thanks for listening to the Talks Archive brought to you by the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip. To listen to other episodes, go to visit.museum.wa.gov.au/episodes/conversation where you can hear a range of talks and conversations. The Talks Archive is recorded on Whadjuk Nyoongar Boodjar. The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the traditional owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.