People experience the state-of-art digital interactive technology used to display Chinese painting masterpiece "A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains" during the exhibition series under the theme "The Long Journey: The Forbidden City and Maritime Silk Road," at the Macao Museum of Art in south China's Macao, Dec. 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

October 27 marks World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH). It is a special day that aims to raise general awareness of the need to preserve important audiovisual heritage for future generations.

This commemorative day was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005 to raise awareness of the significance and preservation risks of recorded sound and audiovisual documents. The World Day for Audiovisual Heritage has been celebrated every year since 2006.

Audiovisual archives tell stories about people's lives and cultures from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge to help us grow and comprehend the world we all share.

The global COVID-19 pandemic exposed the urgent need for universal access to audiovisual heritage as a knowledge resource. Let's seize the occasion to help raise awareness of the importance of preserving audiovisual materials as we seek to understand the world and engage with our fellow beings.