Tourists visit an immersive exhibition held by Jingmen Museum in Jingmen, central China’s Hubei province, Aug. 3, 2025. (Photo/Zhao Ping)
More than 400 years ago, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) scholar-official Li Zhizao collaborated with the Italian missionary Matteo Ricci to produce the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu (Complete Geographical Map of all the Kingdoms of the World), the earliest known Chinese world map rendered in color.
Today, this "treasured masterpiece" of the Nanjing Museum has taken on an entirely new form powered by technology. The recently launched immersive virtual reality (VR) exhibition, Mapping the World: The Kunyu Wanguo Quantu of Ming China, held at the Nanjing Museum, east China’s Jiangsu province, has drawn considerable public attention.
The transformation of the Kunyu Wanguo Quantu from a static map to a dynamic, immersive exhibition offers more dimensions and more engaging modes of interaction. In recent years, enthusiasm for cultural-heritage tourism has remained high across China. Technology continues to unlock new possibilities, creating important opportunities to revitalize and reinterpret cultural resources. How, then, can digital cultural heritage continue to innovate and thrive?
A key shift lies in moving from a relic-centered mindset to a product-centered one, enabling responsible and meaningful development on the basis of careful preservation. Bringing cultural relics "to life" extends beyond mere display; it involves leveraging digital tools, technology, and artistic approaches to reveal their cultural significance in new ways. Designing products related to cultural relics and heritage has emerged as a key pathway to revitalization.
Visitors wearing augmented reality (AR) headsets watch exhibits at the Liangzhu Museum in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province. (Photo/Xu Junyong)
For example, the Henan Museum has explored the food culture of central China by combining cultural IP with intangible cultural heritage techniques to create products such as coin-shaped chocolates and relic-inspired desserts, items that have resonated strongly with young consumers.
Developing creative products based on artifacts’ forms and cultural meaning helps the public better appreciate their aesthetic and historical value. The success of creative products from the Palace Museum likewise shows that blending artistic appeal with practical utility can meet both material and cultural needs.
Balancing "trendy appeal" with "knowledge value" ensures audiences are not only entertained but also educated. In practice, many museums and cultural sites have introduced new technologies and experiential scenarios. The VR exhibition at the Nanjing Museum, for instance, has captivated visitors -- some returning multiple times -- by skillfully combining immersive experiences with historical accuracy.
In the VR journey, visitors wearing VR headsets can board a virtual reconstruction of the ship of Chinese Ming Dynasty navigator Zheng He and encounter a guide speaking with a Minnan (Southern Fujian) accent.
This detail is not arbitrary: according to historical records, Zheng’s voyages employed many Minnan sailors, navigators, and captains because of their maritime expertise. It is this meticulous attention to evidence-based details -- from architectural styles and ship design to clothing and even dialect -- that resonates with knowledgeable visitors while offering newcomers an accessible gateway to history.
Cultural innovation must avoid becoming mere entertainment; its true value lies in preserving academic rigor through research-backed approaches while leveraging new technologies to present cultural heritage in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences.
A further shift is from "individualized" experiences to "co-creative" engagement, turning museums into cultural communities built together with the public. In the past, visitor interaction in museums was often limited, resulting in fleeting impressions. Today, technological advancements, particularly in AI, enable visitors to actively participate as integral components of exhibitions.
Two children wearing virtual reality (VR) headsets participate in the immersive exhibition Mapping the World: The Kunyu Wanguo Quantu of Ming China, held at the Nanjing Museum, east China’s Jiangsu province. (Photo from the official account of the Nanjing Museum on WeChat)
The Yunnan Provincial Museum recently launched a new VR exhibition exploring the ancient Dian culture. By recreating scenes such as waterways, traditional dwellings, and forest landscapes, the exhibition brings to life the daily activities and cultural world of the Dian people. Visitors can embark on an interactive journey across time and space within the virtual environment.
One participant described the experience as truly immersive. As visitors transition from observing narratives to becoming part of it, they gain a stronger sense of connection and presence, and this experience turns exhibition spaces into more inviting and cultural environments. Such co-creation in museums fosters cultural sharing; when artifacts are activated and audiences engaged, a deeper, more personal cultural experience naturally emerges.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/1126/c90000-20394994.html