Cultural relic 'Easter eggs' in 'Ne Zha' film series

As the Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" continues to dominate the global box office in 2025, audiences have discovered that the film – along with its 2019 prequel – incorporates a wealth of Chinese cultural and historical elements into its storyline. Among these are the hidden cultural relic "Easter eggs" that pay homage to China's rich heritage.

The Seven-colored Lotus

The Seven-colored Lotus, one of the most powerful magical treasures in "Ne Zha 2," enables Taiyi Zhenren to rebuild the bodies of Ne Zha and Ao Bing.

Its design closely resembles Boshan-style incense burners, ancient Chinese incense vessels shaped like mystical mountains. The gold-inlaid Boshan bronze incense burner dating back to the Western Han Dynasty housed in the Hebei Museum is a masterpiece among Boshan burners, and has attracted renewed attention amid the film's success.

The Barrier Beasts

Serving as both guardians of the magical barrier and sources of comic relief in the "Ne Zha" duology, the Barrier Beasts have amused audiences worldwide. Their designs bear a striking resemblance to the artifacts unearthed at the Sanxingdui Ruins.

The character of a thick-browed beast, with its exaggerated eyebrows, is reminiscent of a bronze head with a gold mask and a bronze mask in the Sanxingdui Museum.

The character of a hook-nosed beast takes inspiration from the Sanxingdui bronze eagle-shaped bell, particularly in its distinctive curled nose.

The Tianyuan Cauldron

The pivotal alchemy vessel that appears in "Ne Zha 2," the Tianyuan Cauldron, draws heavily from ancient Chinese bronzeware.

The top of the cauldron is inspired by a Dragon-patterned Tripod from the late Shang Dynasty. The main body resembles a bronze dui, a round food container widely used from the late Spring and Autumn to the late Warring States period.

Additional cultural relic "Easter eggs" in the "Ne Zha" film series include Chiwen, the mythical rooftop creatures of ancient Chinese architecture that adorn the Yuxu Palace; a wine vessel in "Ne Zha" (2019) inspired by a painted pottery jar from the Majiayao Culture, a late Neolithic culture from the upper reaches of the Yellow River, housed in the Gansu Museum; among many others.