There seems to be no shortage of curious items appearing on e-commerce platforms, fantastical models that are supposedly in the works based on prototype aircraft under development by several nations. In the case of the PRC, I noticed several new diecast models showing up on “the Bay”, and was wondering what the commotion was all about surrounding these strange new items.
One such oddity is the Nantianmen Project. “Nantianmen” means “Southern Heavenly Gate” in Mandarin and refers to different things: a real mountain gate in China, a fictional location in the video game Genshin Impact, and a speculative Chinese military project for a space battleship, according to Quora and China-Arms.
The Nantianmen Project, therefore, is a Chinese concept by AVIC Universal Culture for a future global defense system, featuring science-fiction-inspired, technologically advanced aerospace assets like a massive space carrier, space fighters, and tactical mechs. Unveiled through immersive experiences and conceptual models, the project is a vision for China’s aerospace and multi-domain warfare capabilities, with names for its fictional equipment drawing from Chinese mythology, such as the “Luanniao” carrier and “Xuannv” or “Baidi” space fighters.
Here’s a brief synopsis regarding the purpose of this state-run initiative:
Key Components and Concepts
- Strategic Aerospace Carrier Platform: The “Luanniao” is a conceptual space carrier designed for all-weather Earth monitoring and defense.
Space Fighters:The project includes advanced, fictional unmanned space fighters such as the “Xuannv” (named after a mythical bird) and the “Baidi” (named after a mythological Chinese deity).
Tactical mechanized vehicles are also part of the proposed defense system.
The overall goal is to develop a comprehensive global strategic defense system integrating air, space, and near-space operations.
Purpose and Visibility
- Vision of Future Warfare: The project serves as a vision for China’s future multi-domain warfare capabilities and its strategic goal of achieving aerospace supremacy.
AVIC Universal Culture developed the Nantianmen Project as a science-fiction IP, creating live-action immersive experiences and exhibitions, such as at air shows, to showcase these futuristic concepts to the public.
While the models and concepts are highly futuristic, the project is described as a conceptual framework and an immersive science fiction IP, rather than a fully realized military program under development.
The accompanying YouTube videos do a better job of explaining the concept, which will no doubt be followed by additional behind-the-scenes exposes designed to both shock the world and demonstrate why the PRC is serious about their aims, goals and ambitions in the 21st Century. It remains to be seen if this project has real-world legs or ends up on the cutting room floor of some upcoming sci-fi series.
From a collecting standpoint, we’re not certain how much interest aviation enthusiasts world over will place on models based upon futuristic aircraft tacked to the computerized drawing board. It could end up that models ensconced in the so-called Nantianmen Project may be the next best thing in the diecast aviation community or it could end up as a pie-in-the-sky concept that will garner, at best, a passing interest. So, we’ve asked one of our distributors to look into the matter and see what they can do about bringing in some of the models we’ve spotted online. Time will tell if they will be successful from a financial and collecting standpoint or end up in the bargain heap of notional fliers.
