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South China Morning Post

International Museum Day: how China is aiming for cultural superpower status

In a small city in northwest China, visitors to an ancient Buddhist temple can interact with a shimmering princess from a historical ethnic group, thanks to a combination of advanced 3D scanning, artificial intelligence and virtual reality technologies. Advertisement The digital Tangut princess Yun Zhuo in Zhangye, a fifth-tier city in Gansu province, is part of a nationwide push to bring China's ancient history to life and engage new generations through the use of technology. In elaborate Tangut attire that glimmers with digital silk, the princess interacts with visitors via a touch screen at Dafo Temple, home to China's largest indoor reclining Buddha statue, dating back to the Western Xia dynasty of 1038-1227. According to Beijing's official narrative, the short-lived empire which neighboured the Song dynasty was a melting pot of Tibetan, Uygur and Han cultures, and an early example of the integration of China's various ethnic groups, now a central theme of its ethnic policy. The digital princess in China's backwaters is exemplary of the country's strong push for digitalisation of thousands of museums and cultural heritage over the past decade. Advertisement Despite economic challenges from the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, Beijing continues investing in cultural initiatives to preserve history, strengthen national pride, promote technological progress and enhance soft power in hope of building a 'cultural superpower'. This was in contrast to many Western countries like the United States, who are cutting funding for cultural heritage and museums, observers said.