A project led by the Palace Museum in Beijing to apply digital technologies to cultural heritage preservation and innovative development has been selected for China's first batch of landmark major application scenario projects.
The National Development and Reform Commission announced the list of 136 projects on Oct 20. The Palace Museum project, titled "Digital Activation and Industrial Innovation of the Palace Museum's Cultural Heritage", was submitted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with the museum serving as overall coordinator and principal implementing institution.
Scheduled to run from 2026 to 2035, the project will use the Palace Museum's cultural resources as its foundation and integrate artificial intelligence, digital twins, real-scene 3D modeling and virtual reality.
It will focus on immersive experiences, digital exhibitions, digital art, smart tourism and the circulation and utilization of cultural digital assets. The aim is to build an integrated application system covering cultural heritage protection and utilization, digital content innovation, enhanced public experiences and expanded international communication, according to the authorities.
Heritage protection will remain a central priority. The project will advance systematic digital data collection and strengthen coordinated digital management to support the preservation and management of cultural heritage, as well as the provision of public cultural services.
The initiative builds on the Palace Museum's ongoing efforts to use digital technologies to protect and present its collections and historic buildings. Its existing digital twin platform integrates multiple types of data, including information on cultural relics and their spatial and temporal environments, to improve heritage management and support smarter visitor services.
Beyond the individual project, the initiative is intended to contribute to the wider development of cultural heritage applications nationwide.
According to the announcement, experience and effective practices drawn from the first batch of landmark major application scenario projects will be used to develop replicable and scalable approaches to cultivating and opening up application scenarios, together with supporting institutional mechanisms and standards.
These approaches will be promoted across the cultural heritage sector to support coordinated planning, sound implementation and the orderly development of similar initiatives.
The first batch of projects covers five broad categories of emerging fields and new growth areas, industrial transformation and upgrading, sector-specific applications, social governance and services, and public welfare.
