Innovations help China become an intl cultural powerhouse

As China accelerates its push to become a global cultural powerhouse, digital technology is proving crucial in reshaping cultural trade and exchange, experts said at a high-level forum on Tuesday. From preserving heritage to expanding globally, these innovations are transforming how Chinese culture is protected and shared with the world.

They made the remarks at the Forum on Empowering Cultural Trade with Digital and Intelligent Technologies and the Forum on Integrated Development of Culture, Science and Technology, two of 10 sub-forums of the Forum on Building up China's Cultural Strength 2025, held in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

"A nation's overall strength ultimately lies in the fusion of its technological hard power and cultural soft power," said Wang Gang, deputy minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Compared to traditional product exports, digital service trade has surged ahead, becoming the most dynamic segment in global trade, said Jiang Xiaojuan, a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. She added that many digital cultural products are "born global" — effortlessly crossing borders and appealing to international audiences without the need for translation or sales efforts.

Chinese civilization, long confined to the walls of ancient murals and archives, is now being revived through digital technology. Wang Xudong, director of the Palace Museum, oversees a collection of over 1.8 million priceless artifacts.

"Cultural relics are vital carriers of Chinese civilization," Wang said.

Over the past two decades, the museum has fast-tracked its digitization efforts, making over 100,000 high-definition images of its treasures available online to a global audience.

Academy's contribution

The Dunhuang Academy's "Digital Dunhuang" project, once hindered by technological constraints, has found new life with the maturation of digital tools. By 2024, the academy has made significant strides in digital preservation: 300 caves have been digitally photographed, 200 caves have had their images stitched together and 169 panoramic virtual tours have been created — contributing to a vast collection of over 400 terabytes of digital content.

"Technology is empowering cultural heritage preservation, using immersive experiences to drive the global digital spread of Dunhuang culture and foster cross-cultural dialogue," said Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy.

Pop Mart, a leading designer toy brand, has also transcended geographical barriers by focusing on emotional resonance and localized IP. Using data analytics, a global supply chain and a strong IP ecosystem, Pop Mart has successfully introduced Chinese pop culture to global youth. From Beijing's first theme park to pop-up stores in cities worldwide, Pop Mart's products now connect emotionally with global audiences.

"We believe quality and emotional resonance matter more than a brand's origin," said Chen Xiaoyun, vice-president of the company.

From the upcoming "national treasure concert", which captures the sounds of the Palace Museum's gates, wind and musical instruments, to digitally enhanced performances such as A Tapestry of a Legendary Land, a series of innovative attempts is driving Chinese culture to truly "go global".

As Jiang Zengwei, chairman of the Global Alliance for Trade in Services, pointed out, cultural trade fuels the building of a culturally strong nation. Today, China is using the wings of digital technology to ensure its millennia-old civilization takes on a more vibrant, universal form, transcending language and geography to tell its story on the world stage.