In China, the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) has partnered with a leading producer of cultural tourism experiences, Sanxiang Impression, to create a series of collectable items made of 999.5 pure platinum in support of two major new productions.
‘Encore Dinosaurs’ is a fully-immersive, 360-degree experience that has recently opened at the Shanghai Natural History Museum, famed for its largest exhibit, a 140-million-year-old Mamenchisaurus dinosaur skeleton. Using cutting-edge location-based virtual reality technology to bring the dinosaur metaverse to life, visitors are transported back millions of years in time to the Mesozoic era, which comprises the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Advanced sensory technology, including motion platforms, wind, heat, vibrations, and weightlessness effects, add to the experience.
The associated Encore Dinosaurs-themed range of collectable items features colour printing on to platinum card weighing 0.5 grams and with a thickness of 0.009 millimetres. Each card is around one tenth of the size of an A4 piece of paper. The colourful, scene-based designs on the lustrous platinum background refract the light, creating a product that has the appearance of bringing the dinosaurs to life.
A second spectacle, this time celebrating the legend of Matsu, has also provided the inspiration for platinum collectable items. ‘Matsu Impression’ is another immersive experience, this timing drawing on China’s rich cultural heritage as it retells the tale of Lin Mo and her heroic deeds in saving those in peril on the sea, who, through self-sacrifice and death has assumed a god-like status. Today, Matsu is a revered spiritual symbol for many Chinese people, and it is estimated that there are more than 10,000 Matsu temples worldwide.
The 1.5 g ‘Impression Matsu’ card was officially released earlier this month to coincide with the Chinese New Year. The cards are available from the World Matsu Cultural Forum on Meizhou Island, Putian, where the Matsu Impression experience is taking place. Carrying a design that depicts scenes from the legend of Matsu, the card comes in two editions, with the ‘Blessed’ edition being limited to 100 pieces to be distributed at a special blessing ceremony, conferring even greater cultural and spiritual significance on this item. The ‘Collector’s’ edition is of unlimited quantity and is encased in acrylic so it can be kept conveniently in a wallet or phone case.
The 999.5 pure platinum Impression Matsu collectable card
Raising awareness
Commenting on the collaboration to produce platinum collectables, Weibin Deng, WPIC’s Regional Head of Asia Pacific, said:
“We believe that producing high-quality, sought-after platinum products to accompany these prestigious cultural events provides the ideal opportunity for us to raise awareness of platinum – and ultimately platinum investment – with a wider audience.
This initiative complements our wider initiatives to develop the platinum investment market in China, which has seen demand grow strongly in the last two years.”
