Digital tech revives glory of Sichuan culture

By enlivening intangible cultural heritages and recreating digital scenic spots, Sichuan province is using a "culture-plus-technology" model to showcase its cultural soft power, enabling 63.72 million trips during the Spring Festival holiday that generated 34.78 billion yuan ($4.8 billion) in revenue.

Sichuan's efforts to bring cultural relics to life have won widespread praise. The provincial authorities have used artificial intelligence in the digital exhibition hall of the Sanxingdui Museum to help a Shang Dynasty bronze tree to shine in "divine brilliance", and 3D holographic projection to reproduce ancient ritual scenes. These digital creations have helped the museum to attract 3.23 million tours, marking a three-fold growth.

Decoding cultural relics using digital means also creates surprises. Digital collections, themed "the fairyland of ancient Sichuan"-known as Shu in ancient times as it was home to the ancient Shu civilization — are selling like hot cakes by integrating the bronze mask with elements such as the giant panda and the face-changing performances of Sichuan Opera.