Gaming technology enables worldwide culture sharing

"Gaming technology is now extending into many more fields," says Diego Monteiro, senior lecturer of computer science at Paris-based Ecole Superieure d'Informatique, Electronique, Automatique. "As technology continues to evolve, the increasingly refined audiovisual effects, more immersive storytelling experiences, and convenience across multiple platforms and devices are progressively altering how people perceive the world."

He says the Digital Library Cave, an application of gaming technology for cultural promotion, showcases these capabilities at an impressive level, allowing more people to appreciate Chinese culture. Monteiro says that he's looking forward to seeing more such works that will enable people around the world to experience the charm of each other's cultures.

A young historian from Mexico named Diana says the program is a great way to learn and that she would be intrigued to have such technology for museums and cultures to get to know what is inside the many pyramids in her home country, including the Kukulcan Pyramid in the city of Chichen Itza that is well-protected but inaccessible.

She tested the interactive program for a video by YChina, or Foreigner Research Institute, which features foreigners' experiences and understanding of Chinese culture, entertainment and technology through short videos.

Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, says that the Digital Library Cave reunites, reshapes and re-presents the unearthed cultural relics at home and abroad and makes them reborn in a fresh way. This opens up a new model for the transformation and presentation of traditional culture, showing active exploration in global digital sharing.

He addressed a sub-forum at the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in Zhejiang province in November, where it was announced that the two foreign language versions were under preparation.

According to Su, the academy has been digitalizing the frescoes, murals and painted sculptures for more than three decades, and in recent years, investing greater efforts to promote the culture around the world.

"We adapt to changes in people's means of obtaining information as a result of the development in internet technologies, such as increased time spent on phones," he says.

He adds that with programs like the Digital Library Cave, or other virtual tours and multimedia products, as well as a database featuring Dunhuang's arts and literature, the popularization of Dunhuang culture is going better than expected.