T he legendary figure of Mulan in Monkey form, resplendent in 8-bit style. Diamond Baepe #1044 is a synthesis of Chinese folklore and the Web 3 ecosystem, a symbol of the rising enthusiasm and interest in Asia towards the NFT world. Monkey Kingdom and its second collects ion, the Diamond Baepes, are the figureheads of this wave of enthusiasm, the first project originating from East Asia based on the Chinese legend of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Diamond Baepe #1044 is one of one, no other Diamond Baepe shares any of its attributes save the colour of its background. Fitting, given the significance of Mulan in Chinese culture. Just as the legend of Mulan embodies the Chinese themes of honour, family and tradition while the heroine herself seems to rebel against the status quo, so too does the Monkey Kingdom and Diamond Baepe collects ion break the rules while honouring their origin. In 2021, the popularity of NFTs and the metaverse grew exponentially. However, this meteoric rise was an almost uniquely Western phenomenon, a foreign concept, mere curiosity to many in East Asia. Whether it was lack of knowledge or lack of access, NFTs did not penetrate the Asian markets to the degree they had in the West. This gap led to the conception of the Monkey Kingdom, an attempt to become the first bluechip Asian NFT project.

Since its launch on November 27, 2021, Monkey Kingdom has grown to become one of the most successful NFT projects in the world, enjoying high mainstream adoption with first t.mes NFT buyers and building a strong and supportive Asian community, that has now spread globally with endorsements from international celebrities.

Sporting a minimal aesthetic but deep cultural background, the 2222 Monkey Kings and 2221 Diamond Baepes represent a modern spin on an ancient and storied culture. No two are alike, each sporting its own set of attributes. Diamond Baepe #1044 is a 1 of 1, modelled after Mulan, rightfully unique given the character's significance to East Asia and a representation of the project's aims.

As the project grows from strength to strength, the focus is always on two core aims. First to bridge the divide between the physical world and the metaverse, and represent the Asian community in the space, one that has been not been heard thus far in the NFT world. As this space develops at unprecedented speed, changing and democratizing the way the masses appreciate and collects art, Monkey Kingdom brings it a cadre of enthusiastic Asian supporters to the forefront of the digital art community, creating bonds across the world through its metaverse.

Centuries ago, Mulan defied tradition and status quo and in doing so became a legend, a tale beloved from east to west 1500 years later. In a similar vein, Monkey Kingdom seeks to write its own legend.

以八位元像素將傳奇人物花木蘭化身為猴子的《Diamond Baepe #1044 花木蘭》，糅合了中國民間故事與Web3生態系統，可說是亞洲市場對NFT世界的興趣與渴求正日漸升溫的象徵。《Monkey Kingdom》與其第二代作品《Diamond Baepes》是這股熱潮中的先鋒，是首個源於東亞及取材自齊天大聖孫悟空神話的NFT企劃。

絕無僅有的Diamond Baepe #1044，除了背景顏色外，系列中並無其他作品有#1044當中的特徵或衣飾，正好代表著花木蘭在中國文化中的重要性。花木蘭的傳說不但體現了中國文化對「光宗耀祖」、家庭與傳統的重視，這位巾幗英雄更勇於打破現況的限制，而這種對亞洲文化背景的尊重以及對規限的反叛，亦與Monkey Kingdom及Diamond Baepe的精神不謀而合。在2021年，NFT與元宇宙的人氣急劇上升，但這股熱潮似乎只是在西方蔓延，對東亞地區的普遍大眾而言仍是一個陌生的概念，大部分人只是感到好奇。也許是因為亞洲區的大眾對NFT缺乏認識，或者甚少有機會接觸到NFT，令這個嶄新的藝術模式並未滲透到亞洲市場中，未能如在西方市場般受歡迎。Monkey Kingdom就在這個市況中應運而生，旨在成為首個亞洲「藍籌」NFT項目。

自Monkey Kingdom於2021年11月27日推出以來，這個項目已成為了全球其中一個最成功的NFT企劃，不但在新手NFT買家群中備受追捧，從而得到主流文化的認可，更在亞洲擁有一大群忠實的支持者，其影響力亦擴展至全球，不少國際名人亦爭相搶購。

企劃的2222個孫悟空及2221個女版孫悟空Diamond Baepes在藝術風格上極為簡約，又同時蘊含著豐富的文化內涵，以前衛現代的方式詮釋一個源遠流長、充滿各種傳說的文化。每個孫悟空的特徵都不一樣，獨一無二。《Diamond Baepe #1044 花木蘭》的獨特性，恰如其分地反映了其靈感來源花木蘭在東亞文化中的重要性，亦正好訴說著這個企劃的目的。

雖然這個企劃的人氣不斷上升，但其核心仍然圍繞著最初的兩個目標。企劃旨在成為現實世界與元宇宙之間的橋樑，並且成為原本在元宇宙裡不算活躍的亞洲族群的代表。隨著元宇宙以日新月異的速度發展，它影響著大眾欣賞和收藏藝術的方式，令更多人接觸到藝術。Monkey Kingdom為NFT藝術帶來一群積極參與的亞洲粉絲，引領他們走在數碼藝術社區的前沿，在元宇宙中與全球各地族群連繫起來。

一千五百多年前，花木蘭推翻傳統、打破常規，隱瞞女性身份代父從軍，成為流傳千古的美談。來到現代，她果敢剛毅的故事亦深得西方觀眾喜愛。同樣地，Monkey Kingdom 亦將會成為傳奇。