
Youth Students Utilize Generative AI to Revive Song Dynasty Aesthetics and Cultural Heritage
By: Jack Lee HANGZHOU, China , The College of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University today announced the global release of Song Dynasty Romance, a collaborative five-episode artificial intelligence (AI) digital short film series. Co-created by a multinational team of young students from six countries, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Mongolia, and Ukraine, the project leverages generative AI tools as a creative medium to rediscover the lifestyle aesthetics of China’s Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) and explore how this thousand-year-old wisdom can inspire contemporary digital life. The series utilizes a cross-cultural dialogue framework, pairing one Chinese student with one international student for each episode. Together, they focus on five micro-artifacts deeply rooted in the daily lives of the Song people: a tea bowl, a warming ewer, a traditional garment, an early banknote, and a cultural seal. Through digital recreation, the creators invite a global audience to experience the profound aesthetic pursuits and philosophies of Chinese culture through ordinary yet authentic daily practices, such as drinking tea, hosting guests, dressing, trading, and reading. Cross-Cultural Dialogues Through Five Micro-Artifacts Each episode of Song Dynasty Romance serves as a bridge connecting history with contemporary reflection through a specific material object: Episode 1: An

















