The 2025 Beijing Culture Forum opened on Tuesday, showcasing how digital heritage can transform cultural preservation and innovation. In addition, over 800 participants from 58 countries attended the forum, exchanging ideas and strategies to integrate technology with culture. Moreover, the event emphasized that digital heritage is crucial not only for enhancing public cultural services but also for promoting international cultural exchanges.
Under the theme “inheritance, creativity, mutual learning,” the forum featured plenary sessions and parallel discussions. In particular, experts highlighted China’s efforts to merge culture and technology to unlock developmental strengths. They also stressed that integrating digital tools into cultural production and dissemination can fundamentally reshape how society experiences heritage.
Furthermore, Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of UNESCO World Heritage, said the forum aligns closely with UNESCO’s mission. He pointed out that digital heritage allows better documentation, monitoring, and management of the world’s cultural sites. For example, he noted that more than 1,200 World Heritage sites, covering 4.8 million square kilometers, face threats from climate change, overtourism, and biodiversity loss.
During the afternoon parallel sessions, international experts presented practical applications of digital heritage. For instance, Douglas Comer, president of ICOMOS US National Committee, highlighted satellite monitoring and other technologies for managing visitor flow and protecting sensitive heritage sites.
Similarly, Paolo Giulierini, director of Italy’s Etruscan Academy Museum of Cortona, discussed how digital tools engage younger audiences. He explained that virtual reconstructions of ancient sites enhance tourism while connecting museums with tech-savvy youth. He also praised Chinese projects such as the chariot reconstruction at Beijing’s Capital Museum and predicted stronger Italy-China collaboration in heritage preservation.
Meanwhile, Chinese institutions shared their digital heritage initiatives. Yu Tianxiu, vice deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy, outlined plans for a digital partnership with Russia’s State Hermitage Museum. He emphasized that the effort represents a major step toward global cultural collaboration.
In addition, Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum, said the museum has evolved from physical protection to digital activation. He reported plans to complete digital data collection for all artifacts within 10 to 20 years. Furthermore, a new museum section is scheduled to open in early 2026.
The forum also included six parallel sessions, over 20 professional salons, and a results release featuring the 2024 Report on China-Foreign Cultural Exchanges and top cultural achievements in national center construction. Organizers highlighted that digital heritage is essential for promoting global cultural understanding and innovation.
Looking ahead, participants anticipate deeper international cooperation and continued technological advancements in cultural preservation. Overall, digital heritage will play a central role in shaping the future of museums and heritage sites worldwide.
