Liu Cixin sci-fi fairy tale immersive experience makes global debut in Shanghai

The Fire Keeper, an immersive experience space adapted from Liu Cixin's sci-fi fairy tale, debuted at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum on Oct 1.

Its art exhibition section opened to the public on the same day, while the project's large-scale VR experience zone is scheduled to launch on Oct 15.

Marking the museum's first large-scale project themed on science fiction, the project transforms the sci-fi story from printed pages into a tangible science-and-culture space for visitors to step into and experience firsthand.

"Technology expands our boundaries for imagining the future, while culture endows imagination with rich connotations and expressions," Jiang Daorong, Party secretary of the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, said.

Using The Fire Keeper as a carrier, the museum takes sci-fi as a key link between science and culture, advancing science communication beyond knowledge display toward the inspiration of imagination, cultural experience, and public participation.

During the launch, Liu Cixin held a themed dialogue with Ni Minjing, director of the Museum. On the relationship between science and sci-fi creativity, Liu noted, "The source of sci-fi imagination lies precisely in science and technology. Cutting-edge science holds tremendous imaginative power locked inside mathematical formulas, which literature can unlock and present to the public." He also commented that written words are limited for fantasy literature, while immersive VR technology can bring fantasy-built worlds directly to audiences.

Talking about the project's value for young people, Ni Minjing said, "Children possess far richer imagination than adults. This exhibition aims to help children realize that they too can tell stories like Liu Cixin, and create worlds just as scientists do."

The immersive space features a more than 600 square-meter art exhibition, a more than 500 sq m VR zone, and cultural-creative areas. Powered by real-time rendering and spatial computing, it can host up to 70 visitors simultaneously. Unlike conventional passive viewing exhibitions, it immerses visitors inside the story via sight, sound, and interaction.

The museum also announced its annual Sci-Fi List initiative, gathering scientists, educators, and writers to review China's sci-fi output of the past decade. Running until August 2027, the space is available for reservation via official mini-programs.

Chen Tianyi contributed to this story.