Chongqing—In recent weeks, “Ne Zha 2” has topped China’s all-time box office viewership chart and become the highest-grossing Chinese film. It has also become the first Asian film to enter the global top 20 box office rankings. 

That success is part of a broader wave of Chinese cultural breakthroughs, including the game “Black Myth: Wukong” and the AI model DeepSeek, which are challenging Western dominance and making a global impact.

As “Ne Zha 2” saw unprecedented demand in international pre-sales, Western players created fan animations for the boss battles of “Black Myth: Wukong,” and Silicon Valley engineers discussed DeepSeek’s algorithmic innovations, the world witnessed a collective breakthrough from China. These creations—rooted in Eastern culture—cross borders and spark a global “Chinese Wave.”

“Black Myth: Wukong”: Redefining game narrative with Chinese power

When “Black Myth: Wukong” launched globally on August 20, it shattered records, reaching 2.4 million concurrent players on Steam. This not only set a new benchmark for domestic games but also placed the title among the top three most-played games in Steam’s history. 

Based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West, this is China’s first 3A game, known for its high cost, quality, and scale. The game’s meticulous portrayal of Chinese mythology, history, and architecture, combined with stunning 4K ray-traced visuals, captivated players worldwide. It sold over 10 million copies across platforms in just four days, sparking global discussions. 

This undated image provided by Game Science shows the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, one of the most iconic characters in global fiction, from the video game "Black Myth: Wukong." (Photo/Xinhua)

The game’s worldwide success has sparked an international fascination with “Journey to the West,” as foreign fans explore Sun Wukong’s origins and admire Chinese aesthetics. “Black Myth: Wukong” marks a significant milestone for China’s gaming industry, opening a new door for global players to engage with Chinese culture.

DeepSeek: A potential game-changer

In early 2025, China’s open-source AI model DeepSeek went viral, earning praise from U.S. figures like President Donald Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman for its profound impact on the AI industry. The New York Times compared DeepSeek to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, marking it a significant milestone in AI development.

The Guardian noted that DeepSeek is challenging the U.S.’s dominance in AI. Users quickly recognized its reasoning capabilities, rivaling OpenAI’s model o1 and Meta’s Llama-3. DeepSeek’s ability to outline its reasoning process before answering questions has garnered widespread acclaim.

Screenshot of the English homepage of DeepSeek web version.

AI investment expert Deedy Das from Menlo Ventures compared DeepSeek-R1 to Google’s Gemini, noting that DeepSeek-R1 is more affordable, offers a longer context window, and provides superior reasoning performance. This has sparked a reexamination of Silicon Valley’s “burn money” model for AI development.

What sets DeepSeek apart is its open-source approach. Unlike its competitors, DeepSeek is open-source and offers the public its code, model weights, and training logs. This transparency, combined with low costs, positions DeepSeek as a potential game-changer, democratizing AI access and allowing global developers to shape its future.

“Ne Zha 2”: Reshaping the global film industry

“Ne Zha 2” has taken the box office by storm this Spring Festival, breaking records and earning widespread acclaim. As of February 14, the film has raked in over 10.7 billion yuan ($1.47 billion), soaring to be the world's second-highest-grossing animated film. This success is a testament to the dedication of its creative team of over 4,000 people and nearly 140 Chinese animation companies.

With official releases in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and other countries and regions, “Ne Zha 2” is set for international success and has already become one of the most anticipated Chinese films abroad.

A poster of the animated feature "Ne Zha 2" is pictured at a cinema in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 6, Photo/Li Gang, Xinhua)

The film’s global impact is highlighted by its historic achievement: “Ne Zha 2" is on track to become the first film of 2025 to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, a rare feat for a non-Hollywood film. Screen Rant highlighted that only 58 films have ever reached this milestone, most of them from Hollywood.

According to Collider, Ne Zha 2's box office momentum shows no signs of slowing down. It is among the highest-grossing animated films of all time.

The global successes of “Black Myth: Wukong,” “Ne Zha 2,” and DeepSeek are reshaping China’s creative industries. “Black Myth: Wukong” demonstrates how traditional cultural IPs can be revitalized through modern media, while DeepSeek marks a breakthrough for Chinese technology in the global AI arena. “Ne Zha 2” highlights the ability of Eastern aesthetics to thrive within a mature industrial framework. As these forces gain momentum, one thing is clear: the next chapter of globalization will be written by multiple civilizations, with China at the forefront.