New rule on cultural relic data boosts its digital use

A new national regulation on cultural relics aims to ensure data security while promoting the dynamic development and wider use of digital cultural heritage resources, officials from the National Cultural Heritage Administration said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

The Measures on the Management of Data Related to State-owned Cultural Relics, released by the administration earlier this month, will take effect in November.

According to the measures, a comprehensive management system will be established to cover the entire life cycle of data, including collection, processing, storage, transmission, registration and services.

"This aims to achieve the scientific management goals of making State-owned cultural relic data clear, orderly, effective and secure," said Luo Jing, director of the department of science, technology and education at the administration.

Luo said the centerpiece of the new management system is a data registration mechanism.

"The source of the data can be traced, where the data goes can be tracked, and how it is used can be supervised," he said.

Over the past decades, China's State-owned museums have devoted significant efforts to digitizing their collections. The rise of artificial intelligence has turned these digital assets into valuable resources for promoting traditional Chinese culture through innovative applications.

"The volume of data is growing rapidly, and application scenarios are becoming increasingly diverse," Luo said. "The focus has shifted from expanding the quantity of data to improving its quality."

To facilitate broader access while safeguarding security, the measures require State-owned cultural relic custodians to make high-definition images of relics and digital exhibitions publicly available in a planned and orderly manner.

At the same time, the regulation stipulates that original digital data will remain with the institutions that house the cultural relics and will not be transferred elsewhere. After standardized processing, however, nonclassified data with clearly defined ownership may be released for public use, provided they meet quality requirements.

The measures also stipulate that State-owned cultural relic management institutions, based on applications submitted by users, will negotiate and determine the scope of authorized use and service fees before providing the requested data.

The document further encourages social organizations and enterprises to participate in data collection and processing. Those involved will enjoy preferential rights to use related data services.

"The cooperative relationship between State-owned institutions and social forces, including high-tech enterprises and cultural and creative companies, has now been formally recognized," Luo said. "This establishes a new model for developing the digital economy through cultural relic data and application scenarios."

Dunhuang Academy in Gansu province, which oversees the UNESCO World Heritage site Mogao Caves and other major grottoes along the Silk Road, has been a pioneer in applying digital technology to cultural relic conservation over the past three decades.

According to Yu Tianxiu, deputy director of the academy, 323 of the more than 700 caves at Mogao have been digitized, enabling virtual visits to 227 caves.

"The new measures provide important guidance for our future work," Yu said. "We will use blockchain technology to ensure all data can be traced, and the registration system will further strengthen data security."

Officials said the regulation is intended to support both public interest and commercial uses of cultural relic data.

"The measures will benefit not only scholars conducting academic research and nonprofit activities, they will also meet demand from industries such as cultural product development, animation, video games and advertising," Luo said.