China, Greece jointly launch laboratory for digital heritage

China and Greece jointly launched a laboratory for digital heritage at an international symposium focusing on digital heritage conservation recently launched in Beijing.

Engaging experts from 20 countries, the seventh International Symposium on Cultural Heritage Conservation by Digitization (CHCD 2024) discussed multiple digital techniques that have been used to protect and restore natural and cultural heritage.

Deng Bohui, an expert in the field, told the Global Times that China's journey on the path of digital heritage conservation started in the "late 1990s." Since then, it has expanded to cover not only approaches like 3D technology, but also subjects such as "data documenting, restoration and exhibitions."

"Digitalization is efficient when it comes to resource sharing. It has boosted international heritage communities' passion to collaborate with China," Deng told the Global Times.

A major agenda of the symposium is the launch of a China-Greece laboratory for digital heritage.

The new facility engages Chinese organizations like the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the Administrative Office of the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park. Greek institutions like National Archaeological Museum in Athens are also involved in the program.

"International team like this involve multiple niche organs like heritage owners, tech companies and universities. It is an effective and multidisciplinary way of working," Deng remarked.

While there are no details on the lab just yet, a source with the Administrative Office of the Yuanmingyuan Ruins Park told the Global Times that they will be involved in tasks like the "digitalization of artifacts," "exhibiting AI innovations" and "establishing standards for the recording of archaeological heritage."

Prior to the current lab project, China and Greece's "joint lab" rapport formed early in 2016. Another joint lab focusing on laser technology was established at the Palace Museum with support from the China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC) and the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas in Greece.

At the symposium, digital interactive shows like Return to the Haiyantang debuted to bring visitors back to Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace. Haiyantang, also known as the Hall of Calm Sea, was Yuanmingyuan's most iconic scenic spot as it once was home to bronze sculptures of China's 12 zodiac signs.

Through a huge circular screen and digital sound effects, viewers are able to walk through Haiyantang and witness how it was built from scratch.

"The value of cultural heritage is not limited to research, but also how these resources sustain public education and boost people's awareness and cultural confidence," Xu Shuming, a cultural sociologist, told the Global Times.

Other than shows, forum discussions on subjects like "digital grottoes," "digitalization and archaeology" and "historical towns and cities" will be launched during the four-day symposium.

To accentuate the symposium's academic nature, more than 100 scholarly reports will be released during the event. These reports address subjects like 3D modeling, the ethics of heritage conservation, space information technology and also artificial intelligence (AI).

"The AI sector is useful for solving problems like spotting potential harm to relics, producing microscopic images for relic restoration and helping technicians to learn intangible cultural heritage skills," Liang Tianjiu, a digital expert, told the Global Times.

A total of 308 experts representing the sectors of education, cultural organization and technological enterprises are taking part in the event.

As a biennial event, the CHCD features intriguing themes such as the poetic "Translating Lost Heritage into Our Time" and some others focusing on social progress such as "Remember: heritage driven economy" in 2018.

These themes reflect the up-to-date trends and progress in the digital heritage conservation sector, Liang said. He also added that the future of the industry will engage more disciplines like "art studies, philosophy, sociology and engineering."

Xie Bing, deputy head of China's National Cultural Heritage Administration, said the rapid development of digital technology is creating unprecedented opportunities for the conservation of cultural heritage.