Ancient sword dazzles digital buyers

On Friday, the museum announced the release of digital versions of the sword in cooperation with tech giant Alibaba. Netizens were able to buy and admire the sword through the Alipay platform. Some netizens commented that it is difficult to see the sword clearly as it is kept in a glass cabinet at the museum. But the 3D version shows every detail. A viewer can zoom in and out and see a perfectly restored version of the original.

Wang Xianfu, deputy director of the museum, said the hope is to "promote traditional culture in a way that favors young people" — referring to digital technology. Only 10,000 digital swords were offered at a cost of about 20 yuan ($3.1) each. They were sold out within several seconds at noon.

The museum has about 260,000 relics in its collections, including bronzes, lacquer ware, wood items and bamboo scripts.