The Natural History Museum of China offers immersive guided tours using AR technology. Photo: Beijing Daily

 
On Monday, China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) selected 10 model cases that were spearheading digital innovation in culture and tourism from a total of 183 cases, showcasing the new achievements in the digital transformation of the culture and tourism sectors. These projects utilize technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality to drive innovative development in the field.

One of the top 10 cases highlights the Zhejiang Art Museum's efforts to build a cross-provincial digital resource sharing platform for art collections through features like a "collection brain" and "digital cockpit," thus promoting intelligent and shared access to art resources for the benefit of the public. 

To improve the public cultural and tourism services, the Natural History Museum of China has used artificial intelligence and augmented reality to create digital guides, thus offering immersive tours that enhance the enjoyment and convenience of visitors.
"Whether it's in cultural creation, smart management, or precise service, digitalization offers us unprecedented possibilities," Jiang, an industry insider who works at a state-owned tech company based in Beijing, told the Global Times.

Jiang emphasized the significance of technology in cultural development, how it breaks the barriers of time and space, allowing cultural and tourism resources to be more widely shared across the country and even globally.

To support the preservation and transmission of cultural heritage, Jingdezhen, known as the "porcelain capital" in East China's Jiangxi Province, built the world's first "gene bank" of ancient ceramics. The digital platform has collected 2,200 sets comprising 12,583 specimens from Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) imperial kilns. 

This effort has generated approximately 300,000 gene data entries, providing a robust data foundation for artifact conservation, academic research, and the development of cultural and creative products.

"The application of cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and big data is driving innovation in Chinese cultural content, upgrading methods of transmission, and enhancing visitor experiences," Jiang said. 

"The integration of digital technology and culture has not only enhanced the public's sense of cultural accessibility but also provided new momentum for the global transmission of Chinese culture."

Following the successful inclusion of Beijing's Central Axis as a UNESCO World Heritage site a few months ago, the digital Central Axis project by the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau and the office of the Beijing Central Axis World Heritage Protection was officially launched in July, allowing people to immerse themselves in the beauty of Beijing's Central Axis through virtual reality, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"Digital projects for preserving intangible cultural heritage are not only enabling dynamic transmission through big data collection and AI but also allowing more young people to engage with and learn about traditional culture through digital platforms," Jiang noted.
"China will accelerate the in-depth application of digital technologies in the culture and tourism sectors to achieve digital empowerment and information transformation," said an official from the MCT. 

"The goal is to turn resource advantages into development strengths, therefore contributing to high-quality development in culture and tourism," the official said. 

The selection focused on multiple areas, including innovative cultural expression, and enhancing the digital standards of public cultural services. It also involved supporting cultural institutions in their digital transformation and creating entirely new digital consumption scenarios, according to MCT.

The implementation of these cases aims to advance China's national cultural digitalization strategy and further strengthen digital development in the culture and tourism sectors, according to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism.