When director Wuershan invited US special effects artist Douglas Hans Smith to work on the fantasy epic Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, he arranged a cultural tour to give Smith an understanding of the aesthetics of traditional art forms.

During a symposium in Beijing on Nov 24, Wuershan said that he had arranged for Smith, who won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for 1997’s Independence Day, to visit Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan provinces.

The schedule included visits to the murals and painted statues at Shanxi’s Yongle Temple, a Taoist temple dating back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), a museum of bronze artifacts in Shaanxi, and the Yinxu Ruins, which date back to the Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC), in Henan.