National History Museum's first 4D film explores deep sea

Into the Depths, the first 4D popular science film presented by the National History Museum of China, premiered in Beijing earlier this week.

Combining animated footage with the latest scientific research, the film takes audiences on an immersive journey, starting from sunlit coral reefs, passing through sargassum forests, seamounts, cold seeps, and hydrothermal vent areas, and descending layer by layer into the deep ocean trench, reaching depths of 11,000 meters below the sea surface.

The creative team at China Film Animation Ltd spent two years collaborating with various marine research institutions, using authentic scientific data to bring the deep-sea world to life through animation.

The premiere was attended by prominent figures from China's scientific and cultural communities, including Yu Ziniu, a scientist at the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Li Jianping, dean of the Animation School at the Beijing Film Academy.

Yu said Tridacna gigas (giant clam), a species featured in the film, lives in symbiosis with plant cells and can survive without actively feeding, making it a vital component of coral reef ecosystems. In recent years, his team has been dedicated to the artificial breeding of giant clams to support marine ecological conservation. Yu expressed hope that the film would inspire more people to care about the ocean and recognize the importance of its protection.

Aside from regular screening at National History Museum of China and some other museums, the film will also tour multiple cities including Chengdu in Sichuan province, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, and Xi'an in Shaanxi province.