Following its massive success online, the China Film Administration has approved a feature-length animated adaptation of the story. This upcoming film will expand on the original narrative, featuring multiple artifacts that gain consciousness and attempt to return to China for the Lunar New Year.
The viral short film series (逃出大英博物馆), created by Chinese vloggers Pancake Fruit Boy (煎饼果仔) and Summer Sister (夏天妹妹), has become a cultural phenomenon, racking up over 370 million views on Douyin. The series has sparked widespread conversation about cultural heritage and the repatriation of artifacts. The Story of the Escaped Teapot
The three-episode drama tells the story of a Chinese jade teapot that magically transforms into a young woman. She escapes the British Museum and encounters a Chinese journalist in London, played by Pancake Fruit Boy, who helps her navigate her way home to China.
The character is based on a contemporary piece: a thin-walled jade teapot with a curling branch pattern, crafted in 2011 by artist Yu Ting and acquired by the museum in 2017.
The series has amplified calls for the British Museum to return its vast collection of Chinese cultural relics , currently estimated at 23,000 items.
