The Nine Shanghai’s Jody Xiong directs short film for Yotkan Ancient City in Xinjiang, China

Yotkan Ancient City was the capital of the ancient Khotan Kingdom, one of the Thirty-Six States of the Western Regions during the Han and Tang dynasties. It’s a renowned historical site located in Hetian, Xinjiang, China. Xinjiang Fruit and Tourism Group, drawing inspiration from historical records, has faithfully reconstructed this ancient city using the architectural vocabulary of ancient Khotan. From June to August 2023, The Nine Shanghai’s Jody Xiong directed a six-minute short film at the invitation of Yotkan Ancient City in Xinjiang, China, they aim to attract tourists to experience the magnificent of Yotkan Ancient City.

The name “Yotkan” in ancient Xinjiang language translates to “blanket in the desert.” The Nine Shanghai team unveil this “blanket” and explore the magnificent of Yotkan Ancient City, including its architectural aesthetics, historical culture, local customs, culinary delights, and traditional performances.

Xiong’s team collaborated with musician Ma Shang You to create a song titled “A Thousand Years” dedicated to this ancient city. The film follows a young cyclist as he journeys through Yotkan Ancient City, witnessing moments that transcend a thousand years. It features scenes of a princess on horseback galloping through the desert; The trumpeter lying in the vast snowy wilderness soloing for the flock of sheep; a Uighur girl dancing on a rooftop; a soccer enthusiast agile as a hare on the trunk of a Populus euphratica; The elderly motorcycle couple, conversing affectionately about their love as they wander the world; Performers enveloped in 39 meters of emerald silk, resembling living sculptures in motion; The enchanting silhouette of a Loulan heroine running along the eaves of a red wall; powerful cuju matches beneath the Kunlun Mountains; a canoe shooting flames across a serene lake at night, and Tang Dynasty ladies with half-hidden faces playing pipa etc. This dreamlike and enchanting realm showcases the “magnificent” of Yotkan Ancient City to the world.

Credits
Creative and Production Company: The Nine Shanghai
Director/Creative Director/Art Director: Jody Xiong
Executive Producer: Liu Junqi, Shang Ying
Performing Arts Director: Li Na
Composer and Singer: Immediately Again
Photography Director: Guo Yonghong
Performing Arts Production: Chen Chi
Producer: Wang Yunqing, Kaisha Er
Lyrics: Wu Haoqing/Editing: Wang Yu
Color mixing: Zhang Yingjie
Post production: Chen Jiawei
Music Mix: Syn Shanghai, Xiao Tao
Acknowledgements: Wang Zhiou, Zhang Xiaowei