Photo: Courtesy of Yuewen

Chinese characters such as Fan Xian from Joy of Life, Ye Xiu from The King's Avatar, and Klein Moretti from Lord of ­Mysteries will undergo a makeover and be extended into a range of derivative products such as trading cards thanks to the Yuewen IP in Paris Initiative.

Under the initiative launched at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, Chinese cultural giant Yuewen is working with the renowned French illustrator Antoine Corbineau to create fresh visuals for characters from its various IPs and integrating them with iconic French landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre.

The inaugural collection of these derivatives will be unveiled at the Bonjour Brand Cooperation Achievements Exhibition, which is set to take place at the Eiffel Tower on Monday. 

The three major IPs featured in the initiative exemplify its overarching global development strategy. The first season of Joy of Life series has been broadcast in 27 countries and regions across five continents. Its second season stands as the most-watched Chinese mainland TV series on Disney+'s streaming platform and is currently being translated into 12 languages to broaden its international reach. 

The King's Avatar novel is accessible in 13 languages, with the English edition amassing more than 130 million digital reads alone. It has further been adapted into audiobooks, comics and animated works tailored for global audiences. Lord of Mysteries, which blends Eastern culture with global elements, emerged as the most widely read Chinese online literature work abroad in 2023, earning accolades from global media as "a work embraced by all cultures."

Having collaborated with prestigious brands such as Apple and Google, Corbineau aims to showcase the captivating blend of Eastern and Western cultures through his designs, illuminating the combined cultural legacies of China and France on the global platform.